Written answers

Wednesday, 13 January 2016

Department of Social Protection

Invalidity Pension Applications

Photo of Michael Healy-RaeMichael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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63. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the status of an invalidity pension to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46587/15]

Photo of Joan BurtonJoan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Invalidity pension (IP) is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and who satisfy the pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions.

To qualify for IP a claimant must, inter-alia, have at least 260 (5 years) paid PRSI contributions since entering social insurance and 48 contributions paid or credited in the last complete contribution year before the date of their claim.

The department received a claim for IP for the person concerned on the 25 February 2015. The person concerned was ineligible for IP under national legislation on the grounds that the contribution conditions for the scheme were not satisfied.

EU Regulations provide that insurance contributions made in any other EU Member State may be aggregated with Irish contributions in order to satisfy the contribution conditions for payment of a pro-rata IP. A request was sent to the Polish social security authorities requesting his Polish insurance record. Receipt of this information confirmed that the person in question satisfied the contribution criteria for IP under EU Regulations and as he satisfied all other qualifying conditions the person concerned was awarded a pro-rata IP from the 2 April 2015. He qualified for pro-rata IP at 28.30% of the basic rate thus entitling him a reduced rate.

On behalf of the person concerned, on 10 March 2015, this Department made a claim for an equivalent IP payment with the Polish social security authorities. A decision on this application has not been received to date.

The spouse of the person concerned has recently become eligible for an increase in her jobseeker’s benefit (JB) in respect of the person concerned as a qualified adult (IQA). The IQA is payable at a higher rate than his current IP rate. The person in question requested termination of his IP claim from the 4 January 2016 in order that his spouse may be granted IQA and payment to him of IP has ceased from this date.

The Department has also received an application for Disability Allowance (DA) from the person concerned on the 21 December 2015. The DA claim will be processed as quickly as possible and, should he qualify at a higher rate than the IQA rate on his spouse’s JB, this payment will be awarded to the person in question in place of the IQA.

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