Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 27 November 2014
19. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to the fact that persons who apply for Student Universal Support Ireland grants on the basis of illness benefit, having lost their jobs as a result of being out sick, are not allocated higher rates of the grant; and if she will rectify this anomaly. [45120/14]
View answerThe qualifying criteria for the special rate of maintenance grant in the 2014/15 academic year as specified under the 2014 student grant scheme is as follows:
1. The student must qualify for the standard rate of grant;
2. Total reckonable income, after income disregards and Child Dependant Increase(s) are excluded, must not exceed €22,703;
3. As at 31st December, 2013, the reckonable income must include one of the eligible long-term social welfare payments prescribed in the Student Grant Scheme.
Illness Benefit is considered to be a short-term social welfare payment and, therefore, it is not included as an eligible payment for the purposes of the special rate of maintenance grant.
The eligibility criteria for Illness Benefit is set by the Department of Social Protection.
It is not proposed to depart from the existing arrangements for the determination of the eligibility for the special rate of maintenance grant.
