How long does a Fair Deal application take?

The steps

• Application received. The HSE confirms it has arrived and checks the documents.
• Care needs assessment. A public health nurse, doctor or occupational therapist assesses whether long-term care is needed. This is often done in hospital.
• Financial assessment. The Nursing Homes Support Office works out the contribution from the documents.
• Decision letter. You are told the contribution and, if approved, placed on the national funding list, which is worked through in date order, typically within a few weeks.
• Nursing home loan. If applied for, this runs separately and takes longer, often ten to twelve weeks, because the property has to be registered and a solicitor is usually involved.

What slows it down

Missing bank statements, an income figure that does not match the statements, no property valuation, and, above all, an applicant who does not have capacity to sign and has no enduring power of attorney. Getting a decision-making representative appointed can take months. If capacity is in doubt, start that process immediately.

Funding is not backdated

State support starts on the date of approval, not the date of application or the date of admission. Any weeks in a nursing home before approval are paid privately by the family. That is the cost of an incomplete application.

Applying early

You can apply up to six months before care is needed. If the person is in hospital and unlikely to go home, apply from the hospital. If they are at home and declining, apply before the crisis, not during it.