Financial and healthcare support schemes

Under this scheme you can get some drugs, medicines and medical appliances for free. There is no means test.

Long-term Illness Scheme

A medical card entitles you to most health services for free. They are means-tested depending on family net income.

Medical card

You can register your child for a medical card if you get a Domiciliary Care Allowance for that child. There is no means test for this medical card.

Medical card for Domiciliary Care Allowance

If you get Carer’s Benefit or Carer’s Allowance, at full or half-rate, you can visit your GP for free.

Register for a carer's GP visit card

All children under age 8 living in Ireland can get a GP visit card.

Under 8s GP visit card

Your child may be eligible for a limited supply of free nappies each month if they:

• are age 3 or older
• have a disability
• receive Domiciliary Care Allowance

Ask your Public Health Nurse for more information.

A Drugs Payment Scheme card can save money on approved medicine or appliances. It means you will pay a maximum of €80 in a month.

Drugs Payment Scheme

This is a monthly payment. It's made to the carer of a child who is under age 16 and lives at home, has a severe disability and needs a high level of care.

Domiciliary Care Allowance - citizensinformation.ie

A short-term weekly payment for people who leave their job temporarily to care for someone on a full-time basis. You need to qualify for it and you can only get it for two years.

Carer's Benefit - citizensinformation.ie

A long term, weekly payment for people who look after a person in need of full-time care. This could be due to age, disability or illness.

It's means-tested and you must meet certain criteria to qualify.

Carer's Allowance - citizensinformation.ie

Half-rate carer’s allowance is available for those receiving another social welfare payment.

Half-Rate Carer's Allowance - citizensinformation.ie

This is a means-tested weekly allowance paid to someone with a disability. You must be age 16 and older and meet other criteria to qualify.

Disability Allowance - gov.ie

An annual payment automatically made to people who receive Carer's Allowance, Carer's Benefit or Domiciliary Care Allowance.

Carer's Support Grant - citizensinformation.ie

You may be able to claim a tax credit if you are supporting a child with a disability. The child must be living with you full time. You must also be paying income tax.

You and your child's doctor need to complete a form from Revenue (the tax office). You need to do this together.

The doctor needs to confirm that the child is:

• permanently incapacitated
• unlikely to be able to financially support themselves when they are age 18

Incapacitated Child Tax Credit - revenue.ie

You may be able to claim tax relief on certain health expenses related to your child's disability. This includes speech and language therapy, accommodation, travel, hygiene products and special clothing.

Health expenses - revenue.ie

You may be able to take unpaid leave to provide full-time care for someone who needs it. You can take the leave in a block or in short periods, up to a max of 2 years.

You need to have worked for at least a year with an employer. You also need to apply to the Department of Social and Family Affairs.

Carer's Leave - citizensinformation.ie

You can get a tax credit if you are a one-income family and you are caring for a person with a disability. Contact your local tax office for further information.

Home Carer Tax Credit - citizensinformation.ie

You can claim tax relief on the cost of employing a home carer. You can also claim it if you pay an agency for this service.

Tax relief on employing a home carer - citizensinformation.ie

You can get help from the National Council of Special Education (NCSE) if your child needs extra educational support.

Your child will get this support through a special educational needs organiser (SENO).

The SENO will help your child with:

• extra education supports in school
• special classes, special schools and other supports
• assistive technology and school transport applications
• transitions to new schools (for example, from preschool to primary school)
• coordinate school, family and health supports

Special Educational Needs Organiser (SENO) - ncse.ie

ECCE provides free early childhood care and education for children age 2 years 8 months to 5 years 6 months. The programme covers 3 hours a day, 5 days a week.

Early Childhood Care and Education programme (ECCE) - citizensinformation.ie

AIM helps children with additional needs to take part in pre-school through ECCE. It helps provide specialist equipment, therapy services and funding for classroom support.

AIM - aim.gov.ie

This is a grant available to children who:

• cannot go to school for reasons such as chronic illness
• have special educational needs and are waiting for a place in an education facility
• have autism and seek early educational intervention

As part of early educational intervention, the grant can cover:

• 10 hours per week of home tuition for children age 2 and a half to age 3
• 20 hours per week for children age 3 and older

You need to recruit a teacher registered with the Teaching Council of Ireland.

Home Tuition - gov.ie

This grant allows you to make changes to your home. This is so the home is suitable for a person with a disability to live in. The grant is means-tested.

Housing Adaptation Grant - citizensinformation.ie

Funding to improve the energy efficiency and warmth of your home.

The Warmer Homes Scheme is available to families who own their home and receive:

• Domiciliary Care Allowance
• Carer's Allowance and live with the person you are caring for
• Disability Allowance for over 6 months and have a child under age 7

Your home must have been built before 2006 and have a BER rating of C or lower.

Warmer Homes Scheme - seai.ie

A range of tax reliefs to help you buy or use a specially built or adapted vehicle for drivers and passengers with a disability.

Disabled Drivers and Passengers Scheme - revenue.ie

If your child is 3 or older, and has restricted mobility, you may be able to apply for a Disabled Persons Parking Permit.

This allows you to park in an accessible parking bay free of charge for an unlimited time.

Disabled Persons Parking Permit Guide - iwa.ie