Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
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195. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will consider adding illness benefit to the list of qualifying payments for the special rate student grant as outlined in Schedule 2 of the Student Grant Scheme 2013 - Statutory Instruments SI No 159 of 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53859/13]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The qualifying criteria for the special rate of maintenance grant in the 2013/14 academic year as specified under the 2013 student grant scheme is as follows: 1. student must qualify for the standard rate of grant; and 2. total reckonable income net of income disregards and Child Dependant Increase must not exceed €22,703 3. As at 31st December, 2012, the reckonable income must include one of the eligible long-term social welfare payments prescribed in the Student Grant Scheme.

Illness Benefit is considered to be a short-term social welfare payment and, therefore, it is not included as an eligible payment for the purposes of the special rate of maintenance grant.

It is not proposed to depart from the existing arrangements for the determination of the eligibility for the special rate of maintenance grant.