Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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157. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons that are in receipt of disablement benefit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51519/21]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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158. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons that have a level of disablement up to 50% and are in receipt of the corresponding weekly disablement benefit payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51520/21]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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159. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons that are in receipt of disablement benefit but are not in receipt of incapacity supplement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51521/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 157, 158 and 159 together.

Disablement benefit is one of the benefits payable under the occupational injuries benefit scheme, to an insured person who suffers a loss of physical or mental faculty as a result of an occupational accident or a prescribed occupational disease that was sustained on or after 1 May 1967.  The person must have been in insurable (occupational injuries) employment at the time of the accident or when the disease was contracted.

The number of persons in receipt of Disablement Benefit is 14, 752

The number of persons that have a level of disablement up to and including 50% and are in receipt of a disablement benefit payment is 13,192. 

People getting Disablement Pension (without another payment) can work, full or part-time.  Incapacity Supplement is an extra supplement with Disablement Pension. Individuals may qualify for Incapacity Supplement if they are permanently incapable of work as a result of an occupational accident or disease and do not qualify for another Social Welfare Benefit payment such as Illness Benefit, or Invalidity Pension. Individuals generally cannot qualify for Incapacity Supplement if they are in receipt of any other Social Welfare Benefit or Assistance.

The  Number of persons in receipt of Disablement Benefit but not in receipt of Incapacity supplement is 13,979,  the number of persons in receipt of Incapacity Supplement is 773.

An application form for Disablement benefit (OB21) can be downloaded from my Department’s website or is available from local Intreo offices Nationwide.

Only on receipt of a fully completed application form can entitlement to disablement benefit be determined.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.