Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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31. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the number of applications, successful applications and unsuccessful applications, respectively, for partial capacity benefit since its inception in February 2012; her plans to revert to the previous exemption arrangements for persons on illness benefit and-or invalidity pension; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40984/15]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The numbers of persons claiming and/or receiving Partial Capacity Benefit (PCB) since its inception are set out in the following table.

It is a condition of the PCB scheme that a person may not commence employment until they have received written approval to do so from the Department of Social Protection following

an assessment by one of the Department's Medical Assessors will assesses the restriction on the person's capacity for work.

It should be noted a number of people who apply for PCB and whose applications are successful do not proceed to employment. Those applications remain in the "under consideration" category until they notify the Department otherwise. Persons continue to remain in receipt of their primary payment i.e. illness benefit or invalidity pension.

There are no plans to revert to the previous exemptions arrangements for persons on illness benefit or invalidity pension.