Childminder and medical card

Hi Guys,

Hope ye can help?

I am a single mum of a new baby, and am just gone back to work, 3 days a week. I have an excellent childminder and my baby loves her to bits, so very happy all around. I work three days a week, and am in receipt of FIS and the One Parent Family allowance, so its working out well.

I am entitled to a medical card. I have ongoing health problems and have stopped taking my meds because I cannot afford them. Terrible, I know but I'm doing ok. Anyway, I applied for a medical card, which will, obviously be a huge help. The HSE in my area rang me last week and asked me to ask my childminder for a letter to say she looks after the baby and how much she charges per week. I asked!!!!! She wa upset because, apparently is in receipt of a small amount of FIS but is unprepared to lose it, and is afraid to write the letter in case she is caught as she shouldn't be minding children. I really need a medical card and she agreed and told me to go find another childminder???? This, I do not want to do as it would be upsetting for baby as he adores her.

My query, is there away around this? Do the HSE check up on the minder after she writes to note, and if she is claiming social welfare, do they cut it from her????

Thanks

Esme

Esme said:

My query, is there away around this? Do the HSE check up on the minder after she writes to note, and if she is claiming social welfare, do they cut it from her????

Thanks

Esme

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In my experience, the information will be used only for dealing with your medical card claim. It is unlikely to be used to review your childminder's entitlements unless Social Welfare write to the HSE looking for the file, which they can do.

Slim

Esme, she had a right to be worried. she's working and fraudulently claiming benefits! But she has no right to flip because she's the one abusing the system.. or at least she thinks she is, because it's possible she would be entitled to earn a certain amount of money without losing her benefits. She's probably claiming jobseekers even though she's not really available for work. she's not the only one, and it is a disgrace so I wouldn't feel too bad for her.

anyway, I think you need to decide whether you can afford to keep her on as a sitter given that she's depriving you of a medical card .. private health cover will prob cost you >€600, plus 50% of GP/consultant visits + your first €125 of meds each month.

Esme, the HSE only want to know how much you're paying in childminding expenses, as it's taken into account when assessing your total income for the medical card.

Any other information arising (your childminder's circumstances) are not pertinent to your application and I would expect no comeback as a result of her giving the information to you.

If she has a problem with working and claiming SW (and she may not have a problem depending on her circumstances - as you know, you can work and claim FIS), that's not a concern of the HSE Medical Card Section.

Thanks so much, everyone for your input. I don't want to go behind her back, though I don't agree with what she is doing. Yea, you can get FIS while working, but wonder if her husbands income is taken into account too.

I really don't know what to do but I really need a medical card.

Esme