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Support Service for Older People

Home Support Service for Older People

The HSE Home Support Service (formerly called the Home Help Service or Home Care Package Scheme) aims to support older people to remain in their own homes for as long as possible and to support informal carers. 

The support you will receive depends on your individual needs. These supports will be provided by the HSE or by an external provider, approved by the HSE.

Costs

The Home Support Service is free. You do not need a medical card to apply and your income will not be assessed. However, if you arrange additional home supports, over and above the level funded by the HSE, you will have to pay for these.

Who can apply?

The Home Support Service is available to people aged 65 or over who may need support to continue living at home or to return home following a hospital stay. Sometimes exceptions are made for people younger than 65 who may need support. For example, people with early onset dementia or a disability.

read the HSE Home Support Service for Older People

The Home Support Service provides you with support for everyday tasks including

  • getting in and out of bed
  • dressing and undressing
  • personal care such as showering and shaving

Claiming Tax relief on Home Care

If you are paying for home care services for a loved one
you can claim tax relief at your higher rate of 40% income tax.

  • Tax relief can be claimed at the highest rate of income tax (20% or 40%) paid against the cost of home care up to a maximum of €75,000, whether it is for yourself or for a family member. This makes the cost of home care even more affordable.
  • To claim this tax relief fill out a form called the HK1 ‘Claim for an Allowance for Employing a Carer’. This form is attached to the IT47 ‘Employed person taking care of an Incapacitated Individual’ form which is sent to the inspector of taxes in your local area.
  • Then you can claim tax relief at the end of the year, or indeed monthly through your pay so you don’t have to wait until the end of the year
  • A claim for tax relief must be made within four years after the end of the tax year to which the claim relates.
Click here to view the HK1 form

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