Niamh Smyth
Question:311. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will review a case (details supplied); if she will provide advice on same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5504/24]
View answerWednesday, 7 February 2024
Questions (311)
Written answers
Illness benefit is a weekly payment that a person may get if they cannot work because they are sick or ill. To qualify for illness benefit a person must meet the scheme's qualifying conditions, in particular, that they have paid a specific number of social insurance contributions within relevant tax years under PRSI classes A, E, H or P.
The details supplied with the Deputy's question indicate that the person concerned has made voluntary contributions since 2018. Voluntary contributions ensure continuity of social insurance (for pension purposes only) during periods where former contributors are no longer insured as employed or self-employed persons and are not in receipt of credited employment contributions. They do not provide for entitlement for illness benefit.
From the supporting information provided it may be the case that this person is working for her husband's solicitors firm which operates under a sole trading status. Since 2014, certain spouses and civil partners of self-employed sole traders can pay PRSI and therefore establish entitlements to certain benefits in their own right. People affected by this change are people who work in their self-employed spouse or civil partner’s business doing similar or ancillary (supporting) tasks but who are not business partners or employees. The €5,000 income threshold applies to these spouses or civil partners in the same way as other self-employed people under PRSI class S. Once this threshold is met, such spouses or civil partners are covered for all the benefits under PRSI class S. These include State pension (contributory), widow's, widower's or surviving civil partner's pension (contributory), guardian’s payment (contributory), benefit for 65-year-olds, maternity, adoptive and paternity benefits, treatment benefits, invalidity pension, partial capacity benefit if in receipt of invalidity pension, jobseeker’s benefit (self-employed) and parent’s benefit. However, PRSI contributions under class S do not provide entitlement for illness benefit.
With regard to additional supports, my Department also provides an additional needs payment under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme to help meet essential expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. This includes exceptional and urgent needs payments, and certain supplements to assist with ongoing or recurring costs that cannot be met from a person’s own resources and are deemed to be necessary.
The payment is available to anyone who needs it and qualifies, whether the person is currently on a social welfare payment or in employment. The payment amount will depend on a person’s weekly household income, their outgoings and the type of assistance needed. Payments are made at the discretion of the local Community Welfare Officers administering the scheme, considering all the circumstances of the case.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.