The dates that matter: funding starts on the date of approval and is never backdated. An appeal must be made within 40 working days. A change in circumstances must be reported within 10 working days.
The HSE has asked for more information
A request for more information is not a refusal. Send exactly what the letter asks for, as soon as you can, and keep a copy of everything you send with the date you sent it. Until the office has it, the application cannot move on, and funding cannot start before approval.
If you are not sure what the letter means, ring the Nursing Homes Support Office named on it and ask. Sending what was asked for is usually much faster than an appeal.
You are waiting for a decision
A complete application is usually decided in four to six weeks. The nursing home loan runs separately and often takes ten to twelve weeks, because the property has to be registered and a solicitor is usually involved. An applicant who cannot sign and has no registered enduring power of attorney can take months. How long Fair Deal takes sets out each step.
If you have heard nothing, ring the Nursing Homes Support Office, give the applicant’s name and date of birth, and ask whether anything is missing. Note who you spoke to and the date.
The application was refused, or the figure looks wrong
The HSE says decisions can be appealed within 40 working days of the date the decision was given to you. The decision letter explains how, and gives the address to write to. Decisions that can be appealed include the care needs assessment, the contribution and the nursing home loan. How to appeal a Fair Deal decision explains what to put in the letter.
If the care needs assessment found that long-term care is not needed, the HSE says the person must wait six months before applying again, unless their health or circumstances change.
Savings have gone down since the assessment
The contribution includes a share of savings, so it can become too high as savings are spent on care. The HSE says you can ask for another financial review 12 months after the last one. Reviews and changes in circumstances explains how.
Something has changed
The HSE says changes must be reported to the Nursing Homes Support Office within 10 working days. Its list includes the death of a spouse or partner, an increase in income, rental income, the sale of an asset such as the house, an inheritance, and a legal separation. Not reporting a change may affect the funding, and you can be fined.
Moving to a different nursing home
The contribution is the same at every approved nursing home, so moving does not change it. Tell the Nursing Homes Support Office before the move. Changing nursing homes under Fair Deal has a list of what to check first.
After a death
If the person has died, Fair Deal after a death explains what happens to the contribution and to the nursing home loan.
Questions families ask
We were asked for more information. Does that mean the application was refused?
No. A request for more information is not a refusal. Send what was asked for as soon as you can and keep a copy. If the letter is unclear, ring the Nursing Homes Support Office named on it.
Is Fair Deal funding backdated to the date we applied?
No. Funding starts on the date of approval. Any weeks in a nursing home before approval are paid privately, which is why a complete application matters.
How long do we have to appeal?
The HSE says decisions can be appealed within 40 working days of the date the decision was given to you. The decision letter explains how.
Guidance reviewed on 31 October 2026 against the sources below. fairdeal.ie is independent. The HSE decides every application.