Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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322. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the way in which a decision was arrived at not to grant illness benefit in respect of a claim submitted by a person (details supplied) in County Cork. [48023/19]

Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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An application for Illness Benefit was received from the person concerned on the 6th September 2019.

One of the qualifying conditions for Illness Benefit is that a person must have 39 weeks of PRSI contributions paid or credited in the relevant tax year, of which 13 must be paid contributions at class A, E or H. Alternatively, a person may have 26 weeks of PRSI contributions paid in the relevant tax year, and 26 weeks of PRSI contributions paid in the tax year immediately before the relevant tax year with all such contributions at class A, E or H.

The person concerned has only 12 reckonable contributions in 2017, which means he does not qualify for an Illness Benefit payment. A letter has issued to the person concerned giving him the full details of this decision.

The person concerned may continue to submit medical certificates for the period in which he is unfit for work in order to receive PRSI credited contributions.

Should the person concerned be in need of financial assistance, it is open for him to contact the Community Welfare Service at his local Intreo Centre.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.