Bobby Aylward (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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21. To ask the Minister for Social Protection to amend the legislation to ensure that a lone parent who is claiming illness benefit having left work as a result of illness can claim payment under the increase for qualified child allowance for a dependent child over 18 years of age resident in the family home and in full-time education immediately, as against having to wait 156 days to qualify; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5497/16]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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It is a common feature across short-term income support schemes, such as illness benefit, that a person can only qualify for an increase in respect of a child aged between 18 and 22 years of age, resident in the family home and in full-time education, if the person has been in receipt of the payment for 156 days, or if they have an accumulation of at least 156 days of relevant social welfare payments and there are no plans to change the qualifying conditions in this regard.