John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

142. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will review an application for illness benefit by a person (details supplied) in County Carlow, if the person will be given credits for the period of illness while not in employment and if the person is entitled to another benefit due to being unemployed and confined to home. [44249/15]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Illness 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.

The person concerned made a claim to illness benefit and this claim was received in my department on 26 Aug 2015. This claim was disallowed as the person concerned did not satisfy the above contribution criteria. The person concerned was notified of this decision.

However following a review of the claim it has been decided to award credits for the period 8 March 2013 to 21 Sept 2013. In view of this the person concerned now has an entitlement to illness benefit from 11 Aug 2015 at the graduated weekly rate of €147.30 based on earnings of €265.43 in 2013.

The person concerned was in receipt of jobseekers benefit prior to their illness benefit application and as such it is necessary to close off that payment in advance of payment of illness benefit. This has now been done.

Illness benefit payment will issue to the bank account of the person concerned this week.