John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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180. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the options available to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny regarding that person's special circumstances. [42923/15]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The person concerned made a claim to illness benefit from 8 Apr 2015.

lIllness benefit is a payment for people who cannot work due to illness and who satisfy the pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions. One of the PRSI conditions is that a person must have a minimum of 39 reckonable contributions paid or credited in the governing contribution year. Claims made in 2015 are governed by the 2013 tax year, and only PRSI classes A, E, H, and P are reckonable for illness benefit purposes.

According to my Department’s records the person concerned has no paid or credited contributions recorded in 2013 and therefore does not qualify for payment of illness benefit at this time. The person concerned continues to submit medical certs for credit purposes.

Back to education allowance scheme (BTEA) is an educational opportunities scheme for persons in receipt of certain social welfare payments wishing to pursue second or third level courses of education subject to meeting the qualifying conditions. Illness benefit (IB) customers wishing to avail of BTEA must be in receipt of IB for a minimum period of two years. The person concerned does not meet the qualifying criteria for this scheme.

However, the person concerned has been granted permission to pursue a training or educational course without the assistance of BTEA. In considering this permission the person concerned may wish to check with the course provider regarding any funding available to them as they are not in receipt of payment from illness benefit.

Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) provides a basic weekly allowance to eligible people who have little or no income, or where a claim for a social welfare benefit or pension has been made but has not yet been paid. Under the qualifying conditions of the scheme a person will not qualify for basic SWA if they are in full-time education. The person concerned made an application for SWA and was refused as they are in full-time education.