Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 July 2023
736. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if a person (details supplied) in County Kerry is eligible for illness benefit on their 2022 social insurance class A contributions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36752/23]
View answerMy Department received an application for Illness Benefit from the person concerned on the 23rd June 2023. Unfortunately, they did not qualify for payment of Illness Benefit as they did not satisfy the PRSI conditions.
In order to qualify for Illness Benefit, a person must have at least 39 reckonable PRSI contributions paid or credited in the relevant tax year, or 26 contributions paid in both the relevant tax year and the year before that. For claims made in 2023, the relevant tax year is 2021. The person concerned has only 7 reckonable contributions paid in 2021, and no reckonable contributions in 2020, and as such they do not qualify for payment.
A letter issued to the person on 5th July 2023 providing them the full details of this decision. The person concerned should continue to submit medical certificates for as long as they are incapable of work in order to receive PRSI credited contributions.
If the person concerned is in urgent need of financial assistance, it is open for them to contact the Community Welfare Officer in their local Intreo office to enquire about assistance under the means-tested Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
