Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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219. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of reviews of carer's allowance that took place in 2022 and to date in 2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22186/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Carer’s Allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and who is providing full-time care and attention to a child or an adult who has such a disability that as a result they require that level of care.

I can advise the Deputy that 12,735 reviews of Carer’s Allowance claims took place (were started) in 2022, and 6,190 to date in 2023. The figures include reviews on new claim decisions, Control reviews and reviews requested by the customer due to a change in circumstance.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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220. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans, if any, to address the issues raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22232/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Illness Benefit is the primary short term income support provided by my Department to those who are unable to work due to illness of any type and who are covered by social insurance.

Eligibility for Illness Benefit depends on the person’s PRSI record and class. People must have made the required number of contributions in Class A, E, H or P to qualify. Currently there are no plans to extend entitlement to illness benefit to those persons who pay Class S PRSI.

In general, self-employed people make PRSI contributions at Class S which does not count towards eligibility for Illness Benefit. However, self-employed contributors who cannot work due to an illness or a disability may apply for Disability Allowance, a means-tested social assistance payment, or Invalidity Pension, a social insurance payment.

Illness Benefit is funded by the Social Insurance Fund through PRSI contributions. The Fund is central to our social protection system and the Government needs to ensure that it can provide adequate and sustainable social insurance pensions and benefits for a growing and ageing population.

Self-employed people pay contributions to the Fund at a lower rate of 4%. This is 11 percentage points lower than the combined employer and employee contribution of 15.05% made in respect of employed contributors. However, self-employed contributors do have access to over 90% of benefits available from the Fund. These are:

• Adoptive Benefit;
• Guardian's Payment (Contributory);
• Invalidity Pension;
• Jobseeker's Benefit (Self-Employed);
• Maternity Benefit;
• Parent's Benefit;
• Partial Capacity Benefit (where in receipt of Invalidity Pension);
• Paternity Benefit;
• State Pension (Contributory);
• Treatment Benefit; and
• Widows, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Contributory) Pension.