Supports for Acknowledged Irish Thalidomide Survivors

Health and Social Care Supports

• Medical Card
• Annual Assessments
• Access to allied health professionals
• Access to international centres of excellence when expertise not available nationally
• Prophylactic MRI
• Unlimited access to exercise and hydrotherapy facilities

Independent Living Supports

• Personal Assistant/Home Support/Nursing Hours

• Aids and Appliances

• Car adaptations

• Housing Adaptations

• Customised Clothing

• IT and AI solutions

• Free Travel Pass

Financial Supports **

State Supports

• Lifelong monthly payments since 1974/5 (based on Contergan scale)

• Once-off lump sum 1974/5 (4 x German lump sum)

• Once-off lump sum 2010/2013

Contergan Foundation ***

• Lifelong monthly payments since 1970s (scaled to severity/damage level)

• Special Payments & Specific Needs Payments

• Once-off lump sum 1970s

** exempt from tax and not assessable as means for the purpose of Department of Social Protection payments

*** From 1st August 2013 onward, under German legislation, any financial payments made by other governments to thalidomide survivors are off-set from German payments.

HSE Thalidomide Advocacy Office

• National Thalidomide Advocacy Team
• Evidence-based training programmes for Clinicians and Advanced Health Practitioners
• Annual Clinical Professional Development Day