Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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136. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to provide an update on the invalidity pension; the criteria necessary to qualify; and to provide a breakdown of the number of people that were in receipt of the invalidity pensions in 2020 to 2023 and to date in 2024. [24249/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Invalidity Pension (IP) is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and for no other reason and who satisfy the pay-related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions.

Applicants must have been incapable of work for at least 12 months and be likely to be incapable of work for at least another 12 months (you may have been getting Illness Benefit or Disability Allowance during that time) or be permanently incapable of work (in certain cases of very serious illness or disability, you can transfer directly from another social welfare payment or from your job to Invalidity Pension).

Applicants must have at least 260 (5 years) paid PRSI contributions class (A, E, H or S) 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 Invalidity Pension claim.

The table below shows the number of people in receipt of IP in the periods as requested:

I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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137. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to provide an update on the invalidity pension; the mental health conditions that qualify for the receipt of the invalidity pension; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24250/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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My Department provides a suite of income supports for those who are unable to work due to an illness or disability. These include contributory payments based on PRSI contributions, such as Illness Benefit and Invalidity Pension, and non-contributory payments based on a means test, such as Disability Allowance and Blind Pension.

Invalidity Pension is a social insurance scheme paid from the Social Insurance Fund. Eligibility is based on Pay Related Social Insurance contributions and medical condition. To qualify, the person must have been incapable of work for at least 12 months and be likely to be incapable of work for at least another 12 months; or must be permanently incapable of work.

As of March 2024, there were almost 57,000 recipients of Invalidity Pension.

Eligibility for the Departments income support schemes is not dependent on the nature of the illness or disability. Rather, entitlement to these supports is contingent on the extent to which a particular illness or disability impairs or restricts a person’s capacity to work.

Every application for the Department's schemes is individually assessed, in line with the provisions specified in the relevant social welfare legislation. Assessment is based on the medical information provided by healthcare providers and the claimant and taking into account the opinion of the Department’s Medical Assessor.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.