Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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289. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if there are guidelines set out for granting illness benefit to workers whose full-time work schedule is based on a four-day week, for example, if the worker is sick four days of the week, if they should get the full week’s benefit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14466/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Illness benefit is the primary short-term income support provided by my Department to insured employees who are unable to work due to illness. Claimants must have a minimum of 104 social insurance contributions and must meet other relevant contribution requirements. There are comprehensive guidelines covering operation of illness benefit and these can be found at gov.ie.

A customer is not entitled to Illness Benefit for the first three days of any period of incapacity for work. These are called "waiting days". Sunday is not counted as a waiting day and waiting days do not apply to subsequent claims that are linked.

The rate of payment of Illness Benefit is not related to the number of days per week a customer works but is calculated using ‘average weekly reckonable earnings.’ The maximum rate of Illness Benefit is payable where the customer satisfies the contribution conditions and has 'average weekly reckonable earnings' equal to or greater than a prescribed amount (currently €300.00) in the relevant tax year. Where the customer's average weekly earnings are less than the prescribed amount (i.e. €299.99 or less) a reduced rate is payable, which is determined by an appropriate earnings band.

Since 1 January 2023, customers have a right to three days’ sick pay a year under the statutory sick pay scheme. Under that scheme, sick pay may be paid by an employer at 70% of a person’s normal pay, up to a maximum of €110 a day for the first three days of an absence due to illness. The Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment has policy responsibility for statutory sick pay.

In circumstances where a person is ill but does not qualify for illness benefit, my Department may provide means tested supports under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme.

My Department will continue to keep its range of supports under review to ensure that they meet their overall objectives. Any changes to the current system would need to be considered in an overall policy and budgetary context, taking account of contribution rates and the overall sustainability of the Social Insurance Fund.