Peter Burke
Question:234. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection if there are plans to extend illness benefit to the self-employed (details supplied). [9828/24]
View answerThursday, 29 February 2024
Questions (234)
Written answers
Illness benefit is the primary short term income support provided by my Department to those who are unable to work due to illness of any type and who are covered by social insurance. Eligibility for illness benefit depends on the person’s PRSI record and class. The person must have made the required number of contributions under class A, E, H or P to qualify. In general, self-employed people make PRSI contributions at Class S which does not provide entitlement for illness benefit.
Illness benefit is funded by the Social Insurance Fund through PRSI contributions. The Fund is central to our social protection system and the Government needs to ensure that it can provide adequate and sustainable social insurance pensions and benefits for a growing and ageing population.
Self-employed people pay contributions to the Fund at a lower rate of 4%. This is 11 percentage points lower than the combined employer and employee contribution of 15.05% made in respect of employed contributors. However, self-employed contributors do have access to over 90% of benefits available to employed contributors. including;
• Adoptive Benefit;
• Guardian's Payment (Contributory);
• Invalidity Pension;
• Jobseeker's Benefit (Self-Employed);
• Maternity Benefit;
• Parent's Benefit;
• Partial Capacity Benefit (where in receipt of Invalidity Pension);
• Paternity Benefit;
• State Pension (Contributory);
• Benefit Payment for 65 year olds;
• Treatment Benefit; and
• Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Contributory) Pension.
The only benefits that class S PRSI does not provide access to are carer's benefit, health and safety benefit, illness benefit, and occupational injuries benefits.
In circumstances where people are ill but do not qualify for illness benefit, my Department provides means tested supports under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. An additional needs payment may also be available to people who have expenses that they cannot pay from their weekly income.
Any changes to the illness benefit scheme would need to be considered in an overall policy and budgetary context, including the contribution rates for self-employed contributors.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.