A person employed as a home help by a health board is covered by social insurance in the same way as any other part time employee. PRSI class A is payable in any week where weekly earnings are £30 per week or more. PRSI at the class A rate provides cover for the full range of contributory benefits and pensions, including unemployment benefit, disability benefit and invalidity pension.
PRSI class J is payable where weekly earnings fall below £30 per week. PRSI at the class J rate provides cover for occupational injuries benefits only.
Home helps benefit from the PRSI free allowance which exempts employees from making an employee contribution on the first £100 of weekly earning.
Home helps, who fulfil the contribution conditions, are eligible to apply for unemployment benefit for any days or weeks during which they are not engaged in home help duties but are otherwise available for work. This is subject to the general conditions applying to unemployment benefit, i.e. that claimants must be unemployed for at least three out of six days, and must have suffered a substantial loss of employment. Home helps may also apply for unemployment assistance; again this is subject to the general conditions applying to that scheme. Home helps paying class A PRSI may apply for disability benefit during periods of illness or invalidity pension in the event of permanent capacity for work, as well as pensions in due course.