Vol. 421 No. 1
33 Mr. Bell asked the Minister for Social Welfare the plans, if any, he has to give credits to social welfare contributors on contributions rates other than A1 contributions who have had to transfer to the lower rate because of the change in employment regarding dental and optical benefit; if he would outline the cost of such changes and the numbers who would be affected; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Treatment benefits are insurance based benefits which are available only to qualified insured persons, and their dependent spouses, who are paying reckonable rates of PRSI. A person who is paying PRSI at a reckonable rate but whose employment subsequently becomes insurable at a reduced rate because of changes in his employment status can continue to be entitled to treatment benefits for a period of up to two years. However, insurance cover thereafter is restricted to the specific range of benefits and pensions covered by the PRSI contribution appropriate to his new employment.
There are approximately 400,000 persons insured under the PRSI system at rates of contribution which do not provide cover for treatment benefits. They include public sector workers and self-employed contributors. It is not known how many of those would have previously paid Class A contributions. It is estimated that the cost of extending treatment benefits to that group would cost in excess of £8 million in a full year and I have no plans for such an extension at the present time.
Credited contributions are generally awarded in respect of periods of incapacity and unemployment which arise between periods of reckonable insurance and are, therefore, aimed at people who, for various reasons, are unable to continue to work and pay PRSI. I have no plans for the award of credited contributions for the purposes of topping up benefit entitlements for persons already insured under the PRSI system at reduced rates of PRSI.
