Written Answers Nos. 770-789
770. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons on the full rate of Covid-19 pandemic unemployment payment that will be reduced to the €300 rate on 17 September 2020 based on current claimants; the number that will drop to the new rate of €250 based on current claimants; the number on the lower rate; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22575/20]
View answerOn Tuesday September 1st, 224,956 people received a Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP). Of those, 58,115 received a €203 payment, and the remaining 166,841 people received a €350 payment.
As outlined at www.gov.ie/en/publication/0b0fc-covid-19-pandemic-unemployment-payment-rates-from-17-september-2020/ , from September 17th, the PUP will be paid at three rates.
While it is not possible to have precise figures on the number of people who will receive a PUP at these various rates due to unknown future inflows and outflows to and from the payment, estimates based on current recipients indicate that 19% of PUP recipients would received a PUP at the €203 rate, 24% of current recipients would receive a PUP at the €250 rate, and 57% would receive the PUP at the €300 rate.
771. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the analysis that has been carried out of the current recipients of the Covid-19 pandemic unemployment payment to determine the number that would be eligible for higher social welfare payments or benefits; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22576/20]
View answerThe emergency Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment has been introduced as a time-limited emergency measure so that payments can be made as quickly as possible to the large number of people who have become fully unemployed due to the pandemic.
Individuals who were working and were also in receipt of any social welfare payment such as a Carer's Payment, Working Family Payment (WFP) or One-Parent Family Payment, can, provided they have lost their job due to COVID-19, also claim the COVID-19 emergency payment, in addition to retaining their existing welfare payment.
The rate of payment was initially set at €203, which is equivalent to the maximum personal rate of Jobseeker’s Benefit and Allowance. Subsequently the rate was increased to €350 per week, which is broadly equivalent to the two-person household rate for the main social welfare payments.
In June of this year, further changes were made by modifying the payment level to align it with prior earnings of recipients of the payment subject to an overall cap of €350 per week. Currently, 74% of recipients receive payment at the rate of €350, while 24% receive payment at a rate of €203 where their average prior earnings were less than €200 per week.
Where a person has an entitlement to a higher rate of payment on an alternative social welfare scheme, the advice from my Department from the outset of the Covid crisis is that they should transfer from the Pandemic Unemployment Payment to that payment. Staff of the Department are available to advise persons in that regard, including at Intreo Centres and Branch Offices and via the Income Support Helpline. Typically, potential entitlement to a higher rate of payment exists where a person has an adult and one or more dependant children. This is because they can claim an additional allowance for their adult dependant and child dependants, which will bring their weekly payment to in excess of the €350 weekly payment due under the emergency COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment.
As each case involves an individual assessment of a person’s circumstances, the information requested by the Deputy is not available.
I hope that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
772. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the cost of retaining the enhanced rent supplement for the rest of 2020 and all of 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22577/20]
View answer773. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons in receipt of enhanced rent supplement due to Covid-19; the number of claims that ended on 31 August 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22578/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 772 and 773 together.
Rent supplement continues to play a key role in supporting families and individuals in private rented accommodation, with the scheme currently supporting 19,600 recipients; of which there are 6,000 cases receiving payment under the enhanced rent supplement criteria provided during the Covid pandemic.
The scheme provides short-term income support to eligible people living in private rented accommodation whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have accommodation available to them from any other source. The scheme ensures that for those who were renting, but whose circumstances have changed due to temporary loss of employment, can continue to meet their rental commitments.
My Department will continue to operate rent supplement on a flexible basis up to 31 March 2021, in line with the timeline for the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment. No claims were to be discontinued on the 31 August 2020; in line with the previous extension, officers were instructed to treat all claims as on-going some weeks prior to the August 31 deadline. If the Deputy is aware of any case where rent supplement was discontinued, please bring it to my attention, and it will be rectified immediately.
The revised forecast cost for supporting the rent supplement scheme to the end of the year is in the region of €133m, a €36.6m increase against original budget.
With respect to forecast outturn for the 2021, the quarterly cost for supporting the current rent supplement base of 19,600 customers is €33.7m; approximately €134.8m for a full year. The likely impact on the outturn for rent supplement, due to HAP and transfers to other social housing options, is yet to be finalised.
I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
774. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons that have received the Covid-19 enhanced illness benefit to date; the current number of recipients; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22579/20]
View answerEnhanced (COVID) Illness Benefit was introduced on March 9th 2020.
To date, enhanced (COVID) Illness Benefit has been received by 46,813 customers. The number of customers currently receiving enhanced (COVID) Illness Benefit is 1,147 at 27 August 2020.
I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
775. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the cost of restoring jobseeker’s allowance rates for those under 25 years of age to the full adult rate; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22580/20]
View answerAn age related jobseeker’s allowance rate of €112.70 generally applies to young jobseekers aged 18-24 to incentivise them to engage in education or training to improve their chances of obtaining full time sustainable employment.
Where a young jobseeker participates in education or training they can receive the maximum weekly personal rate of €203. The Youth Employment Support Scheme (YESS) is a work experience placement programme which is specifically targeted at young jobseekers aged 18-24 years of age who are long-term unemployed or who face barriers to employment. Young jobseekers who participate in this scheme receive a maximum weekly payment of €229.20. The Youth Employment Support Scheme continues to be available despite the current restrictions of movement and arrangements for social distancing.
Reduced rates do not apply to all young people under 25. Those rates do not apply, for instance, to those with a qualified child and those who were in the care of the Child and Family Agency, or TUSLA, during the 12 months before they reached 18. In Budget 2020, the Government provided also for the payment of the full rate of jobseekers allowance for 18-24 year olds who are living independently and in receipt of State housing supports including rent supplement and the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP).
The full year cost of restoring young persons under 25 years of age on the reduced rates of jobseeker’s allowance, based on existing recipients, to the full adult rate would be approximately €80 million.
776. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the cost of increasing the back to school clothing and footwear allowance by €25 respectively for both rates; the number currently in receipt of the payment; the additional cost of providing the current rates to all school going children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22581/20]
View answerThe back to school clothing and footwear allowance scheme provides a once-off payment to eligible families to assist with the costs of clothing and footwear when children start or return to school each autumn. The scheme operates from June to September each year. The allowance paid for each eligible child aged from 4 to 11 years on or before 30 September 2020 is €150 while an allowance of €275 is paid for each eligible child aged over 12 on or before 30 September 2020.
The allowance is payable for eligible children between the ages of 4 and 17 in respect of whom a qualified child increase is being paid. It is also payable to those between the ages of 18 and 22 who are in full-time second level education and in respect of whom a qualified child allowance is being paid.
In 2019, 143,150 families in respect of 263,400 children benefited from the scheme at a cost of €53.5 million. The estimated cost of increasing both rates by €25 is €6.6 million.
This year, the eligibility criteria for back to school clothing and footwear allowance has been extended to include the COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment as a qualifying payment for the allowance. Recipients of this payment will also need to satisfy all the other qualifying conditions in order to qualify.
To date in 2020, 127,000 families benefited from the scheme in respect of 234,700 children, at a cost of €47.9 million.
Per Department of Education and Skills 'Statistical Bulletin : Enrollments September 2019 - Preliminary Results' there are 560,000 Primary school going children and 372,000 Post Primary school going children. The estimated additional cost to providing the current rate of back to school clothing and footwear allowance to all school going children is €132.8 million.
Customers can apply for back to school clothing and footwear allowance online on www.mywelfare.ie. To apply online, customers must have a Public Services Card and a verified MyGovID account.
If customers do not have a verified MyGovID account, they should contact the back to school clothing and footwear allowance section on 071 9193318 or 0818 11 11 13, where an officer can verify their account. Customers who do not have a Public Services Card or who cannot apply online can submit an application form. Application forms are only available by contacting the back to school clothing and footwear allowance section.
The closing date for receipt of applications for this years back to school clothing and footwear allowance is 30 September 2020.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
777. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the cost of increasing the rate of fuel allowance from €24.50 by every €1, €5.50 and €10 per week; the one-off cost for increasing the fuel allowance rate by those amounts from 28 September 2020 for the 2020/2021 fuel season; the number of expected recipients; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22582/20]
View answerThe estimated cost of increasing the rate of Fuel Allowance by €1, €5.50 and €10 per week is as shown in the table below:
|
Weekly rate increase |
Cost for 2020/2021 Fuel Season |
|
€1 |
€10.5m |
|
€5.50 |
€57.5m |
|
€10 |
€104.6m |
These estimates are based on 373,600 recipients in 2020 . My Department is currently finalising its estimates for 2021 and, as such, these estimates are subject to change.
778. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection if the fuel allowance season for 2020-2021 will run for 28 or 32 weeks; the cost of providing the additional four weeks in 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22583/20]
View answerThe fuel allowance is a payment of €24.50 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €686 each year) from October to April, to over 369,000 low income households, at an estimated cost of €261.35 million in 2020. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs. The allowance represents a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. It is not intended to meet those costs in full. Only one allowance is paid per household.
As a result of the Covid-19 Emergency, the then Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection secured Government approval to extend the 2019 / 2020 Fuel Allowance season by an additional four weeks. This extended the payment of €24.50 per week to all recipients of the fuel allowance from Friday 10 April (when it was due to expire) until Friday 8 May 2020.
The full year cost of providing an additional four weeks payment to fuel allowance recipients in 2021 is estimated to be €36.6 million, at current rates and recipient numbers. My Department is currently finalising its estimates for 2021 and as such, these estimates are subject to change. Any decision to extend the fuel season for 2020 / 2021 would need to be considered in an overall budgetary context.
I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
779. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the cost of an additional 5,000 places on back to education allowance; the projected number of places that will be funded in 2020; the number funded in 2019; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22585/20]
View answer780. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the cost of extending the cost of education allowance to all recipients of the back to education allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22586/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 779 and 780 together.
The Back to Education Allowance Scheme (BTEA) is designed to support second chance education. It enables eligible persons to pursue education and to continue to receive income support for the duration of a course of study. The weekly rate of payment is linked to the persons' underlying payment, for example jobseekers allowance, and all budget increases in these rates are applied to BTEA recipients. The BTEA is a demand lead scheme and is not subject to a cap on the number of students supported.
During the past academic year there were approximately 6,300 students in receipt of the BTEA. Government has provided almost €57 million for BTEA in 2020. This represents a considerable investment in supporting participants to acquire the necessary education and skills to re-enter the labour market. An extra 5,000 places would cost in the region of an additional €47 million over the 2020/21 academic year.
As part of the July stimulus package, the Government announced an extension of the BTEA supports to recipients of pandemic unemployment payment to take up education. Someone in receipt of the pandemic unemployment payment will not have to satisfy the 9 month qualification criteria for 3rd level support. It is anticipated that this will increase the volume of participants on the BTEA scheme.
There is also an annual Cost of Education Allowance of €500 available to participants of the Back to Education Allowance scheme who have one or more dependent children. Approximately 1,900 students availed of this grant for the 2019/20 academic year as a cost of almost €1m. Extending the grant to all recipients during the past academic year would have cost in the region of €3.2 million for the past academic year.
The BTEA is not intended to be an alternative form of funding for people entering or re-entering the third level education system. The Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) grant payable by the Department of Education and Skills represents the primary support for persons pursuing education.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
781. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the cost of scrapping the waiting days for illness benefit of reducing it to one and three days respectively; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22587/20]
View answerIllness benefit is a short term payment made to insured people who are unable to work due to illness. The payment is funded by the Social Insurance Fund (SIF) through the payment of PRSI contributions by workers and employers and, in the event of a shortfall between contributions received and benefits paid, the Exchequer. The SIF is central to Ireland’s system of social protection and the Government needs to ensure that it can provide adequate and sustainable social insurance pensions and benefits for a growing and ageing population.Current arrangements provide that payment of illness benefit begins from the seventh day of the illness. No payment is made for the first six days, known as “waiting days”. Waiting days have been a long standing feature of the social insurance system and are a feature of similar social security schemes in many other countries. In other countries the waiting period can be greater than that which applies in Ireland and is often accompanied by a requirement for the employer to pay what is known as statutory sick pay during this waiting period. In Ireland many employers pay sick pay during this period without any statutory obligation to do so. Where employees do not have an occupational sick pay scheme they can avail of the supplementary welfare scheme during the waiting period, subject to satisfying the qualifying conditions.The cost of reducing the number of waiting days from six to three is estimated to be approximately €32.5 million per year. Estimates of the cost of reducing the waiting days to one are not available.
My Department regularly reviews its supports and payments schemes to ensure that they continue to meet their objectives. Any change to the current arrangements would have to be considered in a budgetary context.
782. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the cost of increasing the income disregard for carer’s allowance to €450 for single and €900 for couples; the cost of increasing the €20,000 disregard to €50,000 in the capital formula; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22588/20]
View answerCarer's Allowance is a means-tested payment for carers who look after certain people in need of full-time care and attention on a full-time basis and whose income falls below certain limits. The principal conditions for receipt of the allowance are that full time care and attention is required and being provided and that the means test which applies is satisfied.
At the end of July 2020, there were 87,611 people in receipt of Carer's Allowance. The projected expenditure in 2020 is over €919 million.
The means test for Carer's Allowance is one of the most generous in the social welfare system, most notably with regard to spouse’s earnings. The amount of weekly earnings disregarded is €332.50 per week for a single person and €665 per week for a couple. A couple earning a joint annual income of up to €37,500 can qualify for maximum payment and, given the tapered withdrawal approach, retain a payment of just under half-rate while earning €49,750. A single person may retain a full-rate payment while having an annual income of just under €19,000, and retain a payment of just under half-rate while having an annual income of €25,400.
The conditions attached to payment of the allowance are consistent with the overall conditions that apply to social assistance payments generally. This system of social assistance supports provides payments based on an income need with the means test playing the critical role in determining whether or not an income need arises as a consequence of a particular contingency - be that illness, disability, unemployment or caring.
The Department has made an estimate of the cost of increasing the weekly income disregards for Carer’s Allowance to €450 for a single person and to €900 for a couple using the ESRI SWITCH model. This analysis suggests that it would cost in the region of an additional €73 million per annum. However, with income tax and Working Family Payment offsets net expenditure is estimated in the order of €55 million per annum.
Increasing the capital disregard from €20,000 to €50,000 is estimated to cost €2.8 million in a full year. It should be noted that there may be an additional, unknown cost for people who, under current means assessment rules do not qualify for a payment, but would become eligible if the disregard was increased.
I recognise the valuable role that family carers play in Irish society and will continue to seek to improve the supports for carers. However, any changes must be considered in an overall policy and budgetary context.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
783. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the cost of increasing the carer’s support grant by €100 and €300 respectively in 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22589/20]
View answerThe estimated full year cost of increasing the carer's support grant by €100 and €300 is as follows:
|
Annual Increase |
Cost of Increase |
|
€100 |
€14.0m |
|
€300 |
€41.9m |
It should be noted that this costing is subject to change in the context of emerging trends.
784. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of additional schools that will provide hot school meals in September 2020; the number currently offering the programme; the number of children that will receive the meal; if a further 35,000 children will receive those as announced by the Government in January 2021; and if 42,000 children will receive hot meals now; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22591/20]
View answerThe school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food to some 1,580 schools and organisations benefitting 250,000 children. The objective of the scheme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children who are unable, due to a lack of good quality food, to take full advantage of the education provided to them. The programme is an important component of policies to encourage school attendance and extra educational achievement.
As part of Budget 2019, funding was provided for a pilot scheme from September 2019, providing hot school meals in primary schools at a cost of €1m for 2019 and €2.5m in 2020. The pilot involved 37 schools benefitting 6,744 students for the 2019/2020 academic year. Hot meals are paid at the rate of €2.90 per child per day.
Budget 2020 provided an additional €4 million in funding to extend the hot meals for children currently receiving the cold lunch option, which will allow my Department to extend the hot meals to an additional 35,000 children. A decision has been made to delay the extension of the hot meals to January 2021 because of the closure of schools due to the Covid-19 Pandemic from 13 March 2020. The 37 schools in the pilot can continue to avail of the hot school meals option from September 2020.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
785. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the cost of increasing the weekly payment to adults in direct provision to €50; the cost of increasing the payments for children to the same rates as those for the qualified child increases for children under 12 and over 12 years of age respectively; the rates if it remained linked to the original ratio with supplementary welfare allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22592/20]
View answerApplicants for International Protection accommodated under the system of Direct Provision operated by the International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) of the Department of Justice and Equality are provided with full board accommodation and other facilities/services.
My department administers the daily expenses allowance (DEA) which is paid to protection applicants who live in the direct provision system.
The Government has provided €13.1 million for the allowance in 2020. The weekly rates of payment were increased in Budget 2019 from €21.60 per adult and per child to €38.80 per adult and to €29.80 per child. There are approximately 4,670 adults and 1,950 children residing in the system of direct provision in respect of whom daily expenses allowance is being paid.
The full year additional cost of increasing the weekly rate of payment for adults to €50 would be €2.7 million.
The current rates of payment for an increase for a qualified child for social welfare payments are €36 for children aged under 12 and €40 for children aged 12 and over. The full year additional cost of increasing the rate of payment for daily expenses allowance for all children to €36 would be €629,000, and to €40 would be €1 million. The age breakdown of the children in respect of whom daily expenses allowance is paid is not available. If it is estimated that half the children are under 12 years and half are 12 and over then the cost to increase the child rate of daily expenses to the social welfare rates is €831,000.
Any increases to the rate of daily expenses allowance would have to be approved by Government and considered in a budgetary context.
786. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the cost of extending the school meals programme to each primary and secondary school that does not offer the programme; the number of schools that would be involved; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22593/20]
View answerThe school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food to some 1,580 schools and organisations benefitting 250,000 children. The objective of the scheme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children who are unable, due to lack of good quality food, to take full advantage of the education provided to them. The programme is an important component of policies to encourage school attendance and extra educational achievement.
According to information contained on the Department of Educations and Skills website there are 3,240 primary schools and 723 secondary schools with a combined enrolment of 939,166 students (567,716 in primary schools and 371,450 in secondary schools).
There are 2,290 primary schools with a total enrolment of 406,713 students and 447 post primary schools with a total enrolment of 251,833 students that do not benefit from the scheme. If a breakfast/snack at 60c per child, per day, and a lunch at €1.40 per child, per day, to all students in these schools, it would cost approximately €229m (€146m for primary schools and €83m for secondary schools) for a full school year.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
787. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost in 2021 of not increasing the eligibility age for the State pension to 67 years of age in 2021, retaining 66 years of age; the cost of providing a transition payment to those forced to retire at 65 years of age until they turn 66 years of age; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22594/20]
View answerThe Social Welfare and Pensions Act, 2011 provided for increases to the State pension age to make the State pension system more sustainable as life expectancy increases. This began in January 2014 with the abolition of the State Pension (Transition). This measure standardised the State pension age for all at 66 years. The legislation provided for increases to the State pension age - to 67 in 2021 and further to 68 in 2028.
The Programme for Government makes a commitment to defer the planned increase to State pension age from 66 to 67 in 2021. I intend to introduce legislation later this year to do that.
Based on modelling conducted earlier this year, the Department’s best current estimate for the additional net costs per annum of not increasing State Pension Age to 67 years in 2021 range from c. €180 million in 2021 (due to a first year effect) to an average of over €400 million per annum thereafter, with this increasing every year. These estimates are for net costs and take into consideration additional increases or reductions arising in PRSI receipts, movements from other social welfare schemes, and secondary benefit entitlements including Free Travel, Fuel Allowance, Household Benefit Payment and Telephone Allowance. The estimates are based on current rates of payments and do not make any provision for rate increases. The cost of these estimates would be expected to double from 2028, should the State Pension Age not increase to 68, as is currently legislated for.
When State Pension (Transition) existed, it was a scheme which allowed those who were retired to get a transitionary payment between the ages of 65 and 66 years. The maximum personal rate was equivalent to the then maximum rate for the State Pension (Contributory). Eligibility was based on PRSI contributions and credits, and it was not a means tested payment. It is important to note that the conditions and eligibility requirements for State Pension (Transition) were different to those for the State Pension (Contributory). For example, a person had to have a minimum average of 24 contributions per annum to be eligible for the previous model of State Pension (Transition) whereas an average of 10 contributions per annum is required for State Pension (Contributory) eligibility. In addition, recipients of the previous model of State Pension (Transition) were not eligible for Free Travel, the Household Benefits Package (electricity, gas, TV licence) or Living Alone Allowance.
My Department’s best current estimate for the gross cost of reintroducing State Pension (Transition), on the same basis as it previously operated, is €293 million for a full year. It is expected that these costs would be offset somewhat by savings of €166 million on Working Age Schemes, arising from recipients transferring from these schemes to State Pension (Transition), giving a net cost of €127 million each year. These figures are based on current payment rates. This costing was calculated based on analysis of the observed ratio of SPT awards to State Pension (Contributory) awards for the period from 2009 to 2012, and projecting this forward in terms of estimated recipient numbers in coming years.
It should be noted that the above costings are subject to change in the context of emerging trends and associated revisions of the estimated numbers of recipients.
The Programme for Government also commits to introducing a Retirement Payment for 65 year olds paid at the same rate as Jobseeker's Benefit without a requirement to sign on, partake in any activation measures or be available for and genuinely seeking work. I wish to assure the Deputy that I have made the introduction of the new Retirement Payment an immediate priority for my Department. The new payment will be introduced as early as possible for those who are retired from employment. Officials in the Department are currently considering the design of the scheme and assessing the necessary legislation, ICT system requirements and administrative processes required to support the introduction of this payment. As design parameters for the Retirement Payment have not yet been finalised, it is not possible to provide an estimation of costs at this stage.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
788. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason for the denial of illness benefit in the case of a person (details supplied); and if there are available State supports for the person in view of their ongoing disability. [22595/20]
View answerThe Department received an application for Illness Benefit from the person concerned on the 10th August 2020. Unfortunately, the person concerned does not satisfy the PRSI qualifying conditions for a payment of Illness Benefit.
In order to qualify for Illness Benefit, a person must have 104 total PRSI contributions paid at class A, E H or P.
A person also must have 39 weeks of PRSI contributions paid or credited in the relevant tax year, of which 13 must be paid contributions at class A, E, H or P. Alternatively, a person may have 26 weeks of PRSI contributions paid in the relevant tax year, and 26 weeks of PRSI contributions paid in the tax year immediately before the relevant tax year with all such contributions at class A, E, H or P.
The person concerned does not satisfy both of the PRSI conditions necessary for an Illness Benefit payment. She can continue to send in medical certificates in order to receive PRSI credited contributions for the duration of her illness.
A letter issued to the person concerned on the 21st August 2020 giving her the full details of this decision.
It is open for the person concerned to apply for Disability Allowance, which is a means tested payment for those persons unable to work due to a long term illness or disability, and who expect to be out of work for at least one year.
If the person concerned is in urgent need of financial assistance, it is open for her to apply for assistance under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme at her local Intreo Office.
I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
