# Disability benefit needs 260 PRSI credits. What is posn for someone with say 213?



## WizardDr (29 May 2006)

I understand that a person claiming disability needs 260 PRSI credits.

Anybody know of situation regarding someone with say 213?


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## Murt10 (29 May 2006)

*Re: Disability benefit*

I assume you are asking about Invalidity Pension rather than Disability Benefit.
(Disability Benefit is a scheme for short term illness).

For Invalidity Pension - From the Depts website http://www.welfare.ie/publications/sw44.html)

4. What are the social insurance contribution conditions?
To qualify for Invalidity Pension, you must have:

a total of 260 weeks PRSI paid
and 
48 weeks PRSI paid or credited* in the last complete tax year before your claim. 


If the person has a long term illness and does not qualify for Invalidity Pension they may qualify for Disability Allowance which is a means tested version of the Invalidity scheme

http://www.welfare.ie/publications/sw29.html




Murt


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## CMCR (29 May 2006)

*Re: Disability benefit*



			
				Murt10 said:
			
		

> If the person has a long term illness and does not qualify for Invalidity Pension they may qualify for Disability Allowance which is a means tested version of the Invalidity scheme http://www.welfare.ie/publications/sw29.html Murt


 
In addition, if the person has a specific long-term illness, they may qualify for a Long-Term Illness Card. (Under the ). This will entitle them to free approved prescription drugs and medicines for the management of their health condition.


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## justsally (30 May 2006)

*Re: Disability benefit*



> I understand that a person claiming disability needs 260 PRSI credits


 
WizardDR. a person claiming disability benefit needs 260 PRSI full contributions - don't confuse them with "credits". The first requirement is the 260 full paid contributions - A contributions. So the first thing one has to *do is to ascertain the exact number of contributions one has in order to qualify.* The second requirement is the number of paid or credited contributions in the appropriate year. See Murt's post. In most cases one automatically applies for Disability Benefit and should this develop into a long term illness then one can apply to transfer to Invalidity Pension. Occasionally, one can go directly onto Invalidity Pension.

If one is not eligible for Disability Benefit or Invalidity Pension, both of which are based on P.R.S.I contributions then one can apply for a disability allowance which as already mention by Murt10 is means tested.

Cheers
Justsally


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## WizardDr (6 Jun 2006)

*Re: Disability benefit*

Hi folks
thanks for that.

It does seem that if somebody has less than 260 paid credits - they are in a difficult position.

Regards


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## dublady (6 Jun 2006)

*Re: Disability benefit*

I'm confused!! Are we talking about Invalidity Pension or Disability Benefit?

You do not need 260 PRSI contributions to qualify for Disabilty Benefit. 

'A person must have

*** 52 weeks PRSI paid at the appropriate class since s/he first entered insurable employment
*and*

*** 39 weeks PRSI paid or credited at the appropriate class in the 'governing contribution year'
*** 13 paid PRSI contributions at the appropriate rate in one of the following years:
- the 'governing contribution year'
- in either of the 2nd or 3rd last complete tax years
- the last complete tax year
- the current tax year.
*or*
- 26 weeks PRSI paid at the appropriate class in the 'governing contribution year' and 26 weeks PRSI paid at the appropriate class in the tax year immediately before the 'governing contribution year'.
PRSI contributions paid at Class A, E, H and P only count for the purpose of the above conditions.'

This is taken from here http://www.welfare.ie/foi/disben.html

But a person needs 260 PRSI contributions for payment of Disability Benenfit to continue for more than 52 weeks.

*'Duration of Payment*

_Continuous Duration:_
A person who has paid at least 260 reckonable PRSI contributions entitled to Disability Benefit for as long as s/he is incapable of work up to age 66. Persons who were in receipt of Disability Benefit on 4 July 1988 (when the figure of 260 was increased from 208) are entitled to 'continuous Disability Benefit' if their claim forms part of a period of incapacity for work which commenced before 4 July 1988***.
***An example would be a person whose previous Disability Benefit claim commenced before 4 July 1988 and then transferred to Invalidity Pension. S/he subsequently transfers to Widow's/Widower's Contributory Pension and claims half the personal rate of Disability Benefit for 15 months. As the later claim is in the same period of incapacity which started before 4 July 1988, the person is entitled to payment for this further payment.
_Limited Duration_:
If a person has between 39 and 259 weeks PRSI paid, Disability Benefit (whether at full, reduced or special rate) can be paid for up to a maximum of 52 weeks (312 days) in any Period of Interruption of Employment. At the end of this period the person needs 13 weeks PRSI contributions paid to requalify for benefit (or a smaller number if it brings his/her total to 260). Any days for which a person is disqualified from receiving Disability Benefit are counted in calculating whether s/he has received Disability Benefit for a period of 312 days.'

Hope this clarifies


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## WizardDr (8 Jun 2006)

whew!
Yes the fact that somebody is under the 260 threshold and seriously ill (which is the case) means that they get benefit as you say for 1 year.

To requalify they effectively have to get another 13 weeks paid contributions in that year, for another year.

Its just that it seems off the wall that that it is not proportional i.e. 213/260 ths of benefit.

Mind boggling.


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## dublady (8 Jun 2006)

Sorry to hear that the person is seriously ill. Unfortunately for Disability Benefit the 260 contributions rule is rigid. Get the PRSI contribution record checked to make sure it's correct (contact Records Section).

If the record remains the same and the person's payment stops after 52 weeks, the person should continue to send in certs so they can get credits.

Another alternative is to apply for Disabilty Allowance but this is means tested http://www.welfare.ie/publications/sw29.pdf


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## WizardDr (12 Jun 2006)

Thanks Dublady.

Was going to challenge DSCAFF on her behalf. Seems a fairly straight situation that they simply dont proportionalise this.

Most complex regulations I have ever seen. Ripe for a challenge!

The means test route will work though.


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## Murt10 (12 Jun 2006)

Waste of time I'm afraid challenging staff in local DSCAFF office. They don't make the rules, they only operate them. 

Local politician could make representations but mostly they just go through the motions. Not enough people effected one way or the other. 



Murt


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## lff12 (13 Jun 2006)

WizardDr said:
			
		

> I understand that a person claiming disability needs 260 PRSI credits.
> 
> Anybody know of situation regarding someone with say 213?


 
Unfortuantely as with all PRSI qualifying benefits if you don't have enough credits then you don't qualify.


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## bond-007 (14 Jun 2006)

My wife was stopped benefits because she was 9 weeks short of the 260 required. Luckily she had a 100 or so stamps in the UK. The problem was getting the DSCAFF to look up these 100 in the UK. In the end we needed to seek the help of our local TD to get them to recongise her UK stamps.


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## WizardDr (7 Jul 2006)

Thanks for that Bond-007.
No credits lurking there .. but the over complexity of DSCFA procedures is mind boggling.  Worse than Revenue.


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## Lemurz (20 Jul 2006)

_ a person claiming disability benefit needs 260 PRSI full contributions - don't confuse them with "credits"_

I've been on disability benefit for the past 6 months and received a letter recently to say I only need to submit certs every four weeks now.

Anybody know if this means I'll only receive 1 credit per cert or 4 credits per cert?

Thanks in advance.


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## bond-007 (20 Jul 2006)

Nope. You receive 4 credits per cert. Once you go over 6 months you are classed as long term ill and only need a cert monthly.


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## Lemurz (25 Jul 2006)

Thanks James.

BTW - Cool idea for a website.  I have a few hedgehogs visiting the garden most nights - are these considered rodents? (I even leave food out for them).  Better PM me back as I'm gone a little off topic


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## lff12 (1 Aug 2006)

Unfortunately I think the words are "tough ****."  It has been widely abused in recent years and I think the response to it, has been the knee jerk response of stopping new people being entitled to it rather than weeding out those who are abusing it.  Typical of this rotten government.


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