Publication
How Determinations are Made
From Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
Published on
Last updated on
Each application is different as it is based on an individual search of institutional records. In most cases you can expect to receive your Notice of Determination, which is the decision on your application, within 8 weeks of the Payment Scheme Office receiving your completed application**. Applications made through solicitors may take longer as we are not dealing with you directly.
**A completed application is an application where all mandatory fields are complete and the required supporting documentation has been received and is in order, meaning the application is ready to proceed.
There are a few reasons we may wish to speak with you:
In all instances we will only proceed with a phone call to you if you are comfortable with this. We can arrange to call you at a time convenient for you.
If you do not wish to be contacted by phone, please let us know and this will be noted.
Based on the outcome of institutional records searches, or the provision of an affidavit if required, a date of entry and date of exit from the scheduled institution will be established. This information will be used to calculate the number of days spent in the institution. This number of days will be used to determine if you are eligible for an award from the Payment Scheme and the amount of that award.
Only time spent in the institution is eligible for consideration when determining the number of days. So, time you may have spent boarded out or in foster care, in other institutions which are not scheduled institutions for the Payment Scheme, or in another care setting prior to being adopted cannot be included in this calculation.
If you spent time as a mother in more than one institution, the number of days for each stay will be added together to determine your award.
If you spent time as a child in more than one institution the number of days for each stay will be added together.
If you spent time in an institution as a child and then as a mother, these periods of residence will not be added together, as the eligibility criteria for financial payments for mothers and children are different.
The exception to this is when determining your eligibility for a medical card, as all applicants are entitled to a medical card if they spent over 180 days in an institution. Examples of how awards are calculated are set out in the Payment Scheme Information Booklet:
A Notice of Determination (NOD) is the decision on your application to the Payment Scheme. The NOD will tell you the outcome of the records searches undertaken following your application and if you are entitled to benefits from the Payment Scheme. It will include information on the offer being made to you and next steps to accept this offer. The NOD will also tell you about how to request a review if you are not happy with the determination on your application or the offer being made to you.