John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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1066. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if payment of illness benefit to a person (details supplied) will be reinstated subject to the correspondence they received from her Department's illness benefit section, dated 28 March 2022; and if the matter will be expedited. [20597/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Illness Benefit is paid for a maximum of 2 years or 624 payable days.  The person concerned exhausted his entitlement to Illness Benefit from the 22nd February 2022.  A letter issued on 23rd November 2021 advising him that his entitlement was due to end from this date and provided details of the options available to him when this transpired.  

When a person's entitlement to Illness Benefit payment exhausts, they can still continue to send in medical certificates in order receive PRSI credited contributions.  The letter that issued to the person concerned on 28th March 2022 was informing him that his GP could submit medical certificates every 4 weeks if he was continuing to claim Illness Benefit for credits purposes.

The Illness Benefit claim from the person concerned has subsequently been closed as he has applied for and been awarded Jobseeker's Allowance.

I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.