Illness, Disability and Caring
This section explains the payments available for people who are ill or incapacitated and their carer's.
Illness Benefit is a payment for people who cannot work due to illness and who satisfy the Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions.
An occupational injury or disease is a disease or injury you contract in the course of your work, for example, from contact with physical or chemical agents.
Injury Benefit is a weekly payment for people unable to work due to an accident at work or a disease they have contracted due to the type of work they do. Accidents that occur on an unbroken journey to or from work are regarded as occupational accidents.
If you are injured at work or contract an occupational disease, you can get a refund of the cost of certain expenses that are not already paid by the Health Service Executive or covered under the Treatment Benefit Scheme.
You may get Disablement Benefit if, as a result of an accident at work or a prescribed disease contracted at work, you suffer a loss of physical or mental ability.
Blind Pension is for blind people and certain people with low vision. To prove that you have low vision or are blind, you must be registered with the National Council for the Blind of Ireland. Otherwise, you must present an eyesight report from an ophthalmic surgeon or an optometrist that will satisfy the Department that you are blind or have low vision.
Invalidity Pension is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and who satisfy the Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions.
Disability Allowance is a weekly allowance for people with a disability aged between 16 and 66. Your disability must be expected to last for at least one year. You must pass a medical exam, a means test and be habitually resident in Ireland to get the allowance.
People who leave the workforce for periods spent caring can have gaps in their insurance records which can affect their entitlement to a State Pension (Contributory) at age 66. The Homemaker’s scheme, introduced in April 1994, allows for periods spent providing full-time care to children up to 12 years of age or an incapacitated person to be taken into account for pension purposes. It does not provide social welfare payments while homemaking.
Carer's Benefit is a payment for people who have made social insurance contributions and who have recently left the workforce and are looking after somebody in need of full-time care and attention. You can get carer’s benefit for a total of 2 years for each person being cared for. You may be eligible for carer’s leave.
Carer's Allowance is a means-tested payment for carers who look after certain people in need of full-time care and attention on a full time basis. If you are in receipt of another social welfare payment and you are providing someone with full time care and attention you may qualify for a reduced rate of carer’s allowance in addition to your original payment. Care Sharing-From 25 March 2005 two carers who are providing care on a part-time basis in an established pattern can now be accommodated on the carer's allowance scheme.
The Respite Care Grant is an annual payment for full-time carers who look after certain people in need of full-time care and attention. The payment is made regardless of the carer's means but is subject to certain conditions.
The Domiciliary Care Allowance is a monthly payment made to the carer of a child with a severe disability who lives at home.
This is a means-tested monthly allowance paid to people who are unable to walk and would benefit from a change in surroundings. For further information, contact your local office of the Health Service Executive.
The Infectious Diseases Maintenance Allowance (IDMA) is a means tested payment made by the Health Service Executive (HSE) to people over the age of 16 who are suffering from tuberculosis or certain other infectious diseases.
Incapacity Supplement is an increase to Disablement Benefit 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 Illness Benefit.