Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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505. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a person (details supplied) in County Cork can have their payment transferred to an invalidity pension payment in view of medical circumstances; the process involved in this transaction and the benefits to the applicant in this regard if approved; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4678/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Disability Allowance (DA) is a weekly allowance paid to people with a specified disability who are aged 16 or over and under the age of 66.  This disability must be expected to last for at least one year and the allowance is subject to a medical assessment, means test and Habitual Residency conditions.

I  can confirm that the person concerned is currently  in receipt of Disability Allowance effective from 04 February 2015.

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.

A person is regarded as being permanently incapable of work if, for the period of 1 year immediately before the date of application the person had been continuously incapable of work and a deciding officer (DO) or an appeals officer (AO) is satisfied that the person is likely to continue to be incapable of work for at least another year or a DO or an AO is satisfied that the likelihood is that the person will be incapable of work for life.

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 or second last complete contribution year before the relevant date of their claim.  Only PRSI classes A, E ,H & S contributions are reckonable for IP purposes.  

Eligibility for IP can only be established on receipt of a completed application form.  Based on the information provided, the Department has not received a completed IP application from the person in question.  I have asked my officials to send an IP application form out to the person concerned for them to complete and return if they wish to apply for this payment.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the deputy.