Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Claims for illness benefit, formerly disability benefit, are submitted following the customer's consultation with his or her general practitioner, GP, or doctor. Departmental medical assessors are not involved in reviewing illness benefit claims at claim stage, as a claim has already been certified by the customer's doctor. Customers may subsequently ask to attend for medical assessment by a departmental medical assessor for a second opinion as to whether the customer is incapable of work. The opinion of the medical assessor following this assessment is submitted to a deciding officer for consideration regarding the customer's continued entitlement to illness benefit. Any person who is dissatisfied with a decision made by the Department may have that decision referred to a social welfare appeals officer for determination. All assessments carried out by the Department's medical assessors are made in accordance with evidence-based medical guidelines and protocols and conform to the ethical conduct and behaviour guidelines of the Medical Council.

It is difficult to distinguish on a statistical basis between physical and mental health incapacities in respect of illness benefit. Illness benefit claims as recorded on the Department's IT system hold a single "certified cause of incapacity", as reported by the person's doctor. This is the primary condition that is initially diagnosed by the primary health care provider. However, a significant number of patients may have associated conditions and it may be the latter that render the person incapable of work on an ongoing basis.

It is not the case that the Department is using medical reviews to reduce the number of people in receipt of illness benefit. I have set out a statistical table below that shows the number of medical examinations carried out in the past three years and the percentage of recipients found capable of work. The percentage found capable at examination has fallen in the past two years.

% of Illness Benefit Recipients Examined & Found Capable 2010-2012

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