You must have:
- at least 104 weeks PRSI contributions paid since you first started work,
and
- 39 weeks PRSI contributions paid or credited in the relevant tax year (13 of these must be paid contributions),
or
- 26 weeks PRSI contributions paid in the relevant tax year and 26 weeks PRSI contributions paid in the tax year immediately before the relevant tax year.
The relevant tax year is the second last complete tax year before the year in which you claim Illness Benefit.
| If you are applying in: |
The relevant tax year is: |
| 2009 |
2007 |
| 2010 |
2008 |
| 2011 |
2009 |
If you do not have 13 paid contributions in the relevant tax year, you may use the following years instead:
- the two tax years before the relevant tax year,
- the last complete tax year,
or
- the current tax year.
Note
- Only PRSI paid in classes A, E, H and P count towards Illness Benefit.
- If you are getting long-term Jobseeker’s Allowance (previously known as Unemployment Assistance), Pre-Retirement Allowance, Invalidity Pension, Carer’s Allowance or Carer’s Benefit immediately before you apply for Illness Benefit, you do not need to have 13 paid contributions.
- From May 2007, if you were getting Illness Benefit for at least 2 years, but you return to work and discover within 26 weeks that you are not fit to work, you may return to Illness Benefit without having to satisfy any further conditions.
- If you were getting Occupational Injury Benefit immediately before applying for Illness Benefit, you can use the current or previous relevant tax year to qualify for Illness Benefit.