a person with a disability or illness
The Department of Social and Family Affairs provide a range of payments for people who are ill or have a disability. These range from the insurance based Illness Benefit and Invalidity Pension to the means-tested Disability Allowance to the Occupational Injury Scheme for those who suffer an accident at work. This section provides information on all of these payments as well as other secondary benefits and employment supports which may be available.
Illness
Illness Benefit is a payment for insured people who cannot work due to illness. You may qualify for Illness Benefit if you are unable to work due to illness, satisfy the Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) conditions, and are under age 66. The personal rate is not means-tested or affected by other income you may have such as an occupational pension.
Disability
Invalidity Pension is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of an illness or incapacity. To qualify, you must satisfy both medical and social insurance (PRSI) conditions. The pension (personal rate) is not means-tested or affected by other income you may have such as an occupational pension.
Disability Allowance is a weekly payment that you may get if you have a disability that is expected to last for at least one year, and you are aged 16 to 65. To get the payment, you must satisfy a means test and be habitually resident in Ireland. You may also need to attend a medical examination.
Blind Pension is a means-tested payment for blind people and certain people with low vision. You may qualify, if you are blind or have low vision, are aged 18 years or over, and satisfy a means test.
The pension will be paid if the Department is satisfied that your visions is impaired to such an extent that you cannot perform any work for which eyesight is essential or you cannot continue in your ordinary occupation due to poor sight. Alternatively, ff you are registered as a blind person with the National Council for the Blind of Ireland (NCBI), this registration is usually accepted as satisfying the blindness condition of the pension scheme.
Rehabilitative Employment
If you are receiving Disability Allowance, you can work and have the first €120 of your earnings disregarded when we work out your weekly means. 50% of earnings between €120 and €350 will also be disregarded. We will count as means earnings above this limit. This means that a single person can earn up to €432.50 per week before disability allowance fully ceases and you will keep your secondary benefits. In addition, you will keep entitlement to the medical card for a period of 3 years after your income exceeds the normal threshold for entitlement to the medical card.
The disregarded earnings apply to rehabilitative work. If you wish to take up this disregard, you should forward medical evidence from your doctor, stating that the work is rehabilitative. Please refer to the information leaflet for your relevant payment for more information on how to apply.
Leaving illness/disability payments to return to employment
The Department realises that leaving an illness disability payment to return to employment is a big step with lots of risks for you. So, if you decide to leave Illness Benefit and return to employment but find that it doesn’t work out within the first 6 months, we will allow you to renew your claim for illness benefit without you having to re-apply and sit another medical exam.
Similarly, if you are receiving Disability Allowance or Invalidity Pension and decide to return to employment and find that you cannot continue within 12 months, we will reinstate your claim without you having to reapply and undergo an additional means test. So, at least you know that there is no risk of you losing entitlement to your benefit if you find that you cannot continue with employment within the first few months.
Occupational Injuries
Injury Benefit is one of the benefits available under the Occupational Injuries Scheme. It is a weekly payment made to you if you are unfit for work due to an accident at work or because you have contracted a disease due to the type of work you do and your illness lasts for at least 4 days (excluding Sundays). Accidents that occur on an unbroken journey to or from work are regarded as occupational accidents.
An occupational disease is a disease that you contract in the course of your work, for example, from contact with physical or chemical agents. Diseases from an occupation are generally contracted over time but may occasionally develop from a once-off accident at work.
Disablement Benefit is one of the payments available under the occupational injuries scheme and is divided into a single lump sum or a regular pension depending on the injury or effect of the disease. You may qualify if you work and pay PRSI at Class A, B, D, J or M, and lose physical or mental abilities because of an accident at work, a commuter accident on a direct route between your home and your workplace, or a prescribed disease contracted at work. Your payment will depend on the degree of your disablement, which a doctor assesses.
Incapacity Supplement is an increase to Disablement Pension where a person is considered to be permanently incapable of work as a result of an occupational accident/disease and does not qualify for another Social Welfare benefit such as Disability Benefit.
Employment & Education Supports
The Department of Social and Family Affairs provides a range of supports to help people on an illness or disability payment to enter education, training or employment. These include:
If you are getting certain illness or disability payment and wish to the workforce, you may be able to transfer to the Back to Work Allowance. If taking up employment, you will be paid 75% of your payment for the first year, 50% for the second year and 25% for the third year. You should apply for BTWA before starting employment. See information booklet SW 93 for more information
If you are getting certain illness or disability payments you may be eligible to transfer to the Back To Work Enterprise Allowance. If taking up self-employment, you will be paid an allowance equal to 100% of your payment for the first year, 75% for the second year, 50% for the third year and 25% for the fourth year. You should apply for BTWEA before starting self-employment. See information booklet SW 92 for more information.
The Back to Education Programme is a scheme for people getting certain social welfare payments to take an approved second or third level course at a recognised school or college and still receive a payment. Different rules apply to eligibility depending on which payment you are receiving so see information booklet SW 70 or the leaflet relating to your own payment for more details.
If you are over 21 and receiving Illness Benefit or Disability Allowance for 6 months or more, you may also be eligible for the VTOS scheme. This Scheme is operated through local VECs. The courses can last for up to two years and can lead to the Junior Certificate, Leaving Certificate, Post Leaving Certificate and to City and Guilds Certificates.
Under this scheme, you do not pay any fees for the course. Books and materials are provided free of charge.
Other Benefits
• Household Benefits
• Fuel Allowance
• Free Travel
• You may be eligible for assistance under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance Scheme .
• You may be entitled to a medical card (from your regional office of the Health Service Executive).