asked the Minister for Social Welfare if, when considering claims for unemployment or sickness benefit, credit is given for a person's insurance contributions including British contributions over his whole working life; if not, for what period credit is given; and if he is satisfied that this system protects the interests of those who had many years contributions in the past but who have no recent contributions.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Insurance Contributions.
45.
There are two statutory contribution conditions for receipt of unemployment or disability benefit. The first requires a claimant to have not less than 26 employment contributions paid on his behalf in respect of insurable employment at any time since his entry into insurance and the second requires him to have not less than 26 contributions paid or credited for the contribution year governing the benefit year to which the claim refers. Credited contributions are given for periods of certified incapacity for work or of proved unemployment.
British contributions are reckonable for the purpose of satisfying either contribution condition for disability benefit purposes but are not reckonable for unemployment benefit purposes. The purpose of the second contribution condition for these short term benefits is to ensure that the benefit is paid only to persons who have a recent record of insurance and whose employment is interrupted either by unemployment or sickness. This is a standard feature of social insurance schemes for short term benefits.