Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 8 November 2023
78. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Social Protection to consider changing the criteria for entitlement to invalidity pension for self-employed people who became permanently incapacitated prior to December 2017 (details supplied); if she will review this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49002/23]
View answerInvalidity Pension is a social insurance scheme paid from the Social Insurance Fund. Eligibility is based on Pay Related Social Insurance contributions and medical condition. To qualify, the person must have been incapable of work for at least 12 months and be likely to be incapable of work for at least another 12 months; or must be permanently incapable of work.
Claimants must have 260 weeks of paid contributions since starting work and 48 weeks of paid or credited PRSI contributions in the last or second-last complete year before the 'relevant date' – this is the date of the start of the person's permanent incapacity for work as determined by the department. This date is usually after a year of being incapable of working but can be less where a person is considered permanently incapable of work.
There has been an extensive expansion of access to the range of social insurance benefits for self-employed contributors in recent years without any increase in the 4% rate of PRSI contribution made by them. From December 2017, self-employed people who have paid the required Class S PRSI contributions have become eligible to apply for Invalidity Pension. It is not possible to apply eligibility on a retrospective basis before this point.
Self-employed people may qualify for other long-term payments, such as Disability Allowance. Disability Allowance is a social assistance payment for people with a disability who are aged 16-66 and are a resident in the State. Applicants are subject to medical and means assessments.
My department keeps its income supports under review to make sure they meet their objectives. Any changes to the current system would need to be considered in an overall policy and budgetary context.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
