# Free Dental Visits



## Duck (7 Mar 2006)

I have been working and paying PRSI for the last 4 years,I am in full time work and in a permanent position. I recently went to the Dentist for a check up under the impression that it was free because I pay PRSI,however the Dentist has told me that I dont qualify because I haven't been paying PRSI for atleast 5 years,is this true???He wants me back for a number of visits and needless to say it will be very costly if I cannot avail of the relief due to paying PRSI. Is there any way around this or can I even claim some of the expenses off tax at the end of the year????


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## bond-007 (7 Mar 2006)

You only need 39 contributions in the year of reckoning which is 2004. The dentist is talking ****! Apply for the benefit and see what happens.


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## delgirl (7 Mar 2006)

You can check if you are entitled to 2 free check-ups/cleaning per annum by calling the _DSFA Treatment Benefit _section on 1890 400 400 (Ext 4480) and quoting your _PPS _number.

If you are entitled, when you make an appointment with the dentist tell the receptionist you qualify under PRSI and fill in a Tretment Benefit Form.

You can only claim tax relief on form MED2 for non-routine dental treatment.  See [broken link removed]for details.


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## ClubMan (7 Mar 2006)

Just ring _Welfare _on _LoCall _1890 400 400 (have your _PPSN _handy) and they will tell you if you are in benefit or not. If your dentist is playing silly buggers about providing _PRSI _subsidised treatment then complain to him and find another one.

_Post crossed with delgirl's._


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## Duck (7 Mar 2006)

Thanks guys,as always a great help!!!


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## jdork (8 Mar 2006)

Dependig on your age you need to have different numbers of PRSI contributions.



A call to Welfare is best.


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## bond-007 (8 Mar 2006)

Discrimation on age is illegal is it not?


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## jdork (8 Mar 2006)

Well if this is a service then possibly Yes. Might fire off an email to Welfare.


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## fobs (8 Mar 2006)

I remember when I started working and was over the age threshold i remember having to have 5 years prsi contributions before getting the subsidised and free visits. Also a collegue who has only been on the payroll for 2 years (was contracting previously) was NOT entitled to subsidised dental treatment and had to pay 250 for 3 fillings.


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## mayotom (8 Mar 2006)

Duck said:
			
		

> I have been working and paying PRSI for the last 4 years,I am in full time work and in a permanent position. I recently went to the Dentist for a check up under the impression that it was free because I pay PRSI,however the Dentist has told me that I dont qualify because I haven't been paying PRSI for atleast 5 years,is this true???He wants me back for a number of visits and needless to say it will be very costly if I cannot avail of the relief due to paying PRSI. Is there any way around this or can I even claim some of the expenses off tax at the end of the year????


 
Same happened to me, my uderstanding is that when you are under 25 you need to have 2 years of PRSI. but 5 years when your over 25. its a load of Bol**. Definately age discrimination in me opinion


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## ClubMan (8 Mar 2006)

bond-007 said:
			
		

> The dentist is talking ****





			
				mayotom said:
			
		

> its a load of Bol**.


 The mind b*ggl*s.

Perhaps people could try posting without the self censored expletives (two already in this thread alone) and still manage to get their point across clearly?


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## Megan (8 Mar 2006)

I am not covered for dental treatment so I go to Newry for my dental treatments.My sister is covered for treatment but her visits still work out more then mine did in Newry. What kind of  a servise is that.We are all in the EU how come the EU rules dont apply to dentist, chemsts, doctors etc!!!!


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## dam099 (9 Mar 2006)

mayotom said:
			
		

> Same happened to me, my uderstanding is that when you are under 25 you need to have 2 years of PRSI. but 5 years when your over 25. its a load of Bol**. Definately age discrimination in me opinion


 
The reason for that is many workers recently out of third level will not have been working long enough to get 5 years contributions so they get a break by having a lower threshold.


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## bond-007 (9 Mar 2006)

Its still age discrimination what ever way you look at it. I wonder if anyone has taken a case to the equality authourity about it?


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## bond_007 (9 Mar 2006)

ClubMan said:
			
		

> Just ring _Welfare _on _LoCall _1890 400 400 (have your _PPSN _handy) and they will tell you if you are in benefit or not. If your dentist is playing silly buggers about providing _PRSI _subsidised treatment then complain to him and find another one.
> 
> _Post crossed with delgirl's._



Clubman 
I was just venting my anger, and I'm sure Mayotom was the same.

Sorry


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## adsf (9 Mar 2006)

dam099 said:
			
		

> The reason for that is many workers recently out of third level will not have been working long enough to get 5 years contributions so they get a break by having a lower threshold.



yes but most graduates will not have worked for 5 years untill they are 27 or 28 so I just think there is a gap in the system


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## bond-007 (9 Mar 2006)

bond_007 said:
			
		

> Clubman
> I was just venting my anger, and I'm sure Mayotom was the same.
> 
> Sorry


Is impersonation not against the AAM rules?


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## Morgause (11 Sep 2007)

Wish I'd seen this thread before I turned 25!

I am 26 now and have four full years of PRSI contributions made, and therefore would appear to not be entitled to benefit.  A pity, as I discovered that I need a number of fillings soon.

However I worked during the summers in college (for about 3 months at a time) and previous to that while I was in school.  Does anybody know if people normally make PRSI contributions while in summer jobs / part-time work?  If so, would they count towards my current PRSI contributions and allow me to bump me up to the 260 week requirement?

If it helps - I worked for local authorities and consultancies as a college student, i.e. not cash in hand, it was all very above board.


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## bond-007 (11 Sep 2007)

> However I worked during the summers in college (for about 3 months at a time) and previous to that while I was in school. Does anybody know if people normally make PRSI contributions while in summer jobs / part-time work? If so, would they count towards my current PRSI contributions and allow me to bump me up to the 260 week requirement?



Yes you should have paid a contribution for each week whilst in a summer job. No harm to check if they included these in their calculations.


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## Morgause (11 Sep 2007)

That's great news, thanks for your reply.  I wasn't sure if temporary or part time positions paid PRSI.  With any luck that should bump me up to 260 weeks!


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## mo3art (11 Sep 2007)

Also bear in mind that the dental benefit department is normally up to a year behind in your contributions as they are only credited to you in January.  So if you started working in the middle of the year and are short a few months in say August, you need to ring them and request that the credits go onto the system so you qualify.

If you were in full time education in the state you give them evidence of this and the limit of 5 years is discounted against you.  I had to do this a few years ago and got my free cleaning and discounted fillings etc.

Sounds more complicated than it is....


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## Morgause (11 Sep 2007)

Thanks mo3art, I was indeed in full time education (typical 4 year degree course).  Can I just ring them up and tell them this or is there a form to fill out?

I'll give them a call tomorrow anyway, it's good to have some knowledge ahead of it though!


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## mo3art (11 Sep 2007)

I rang them and told them.  See how you get on anyway.


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## Welfarite (12 Sep 2007)

bond-007 said:


> You only need 39 contributions in the year of reckoning which is 2004. The dentist is talking ****! Apply for the benefit and see what happens.


 

Not so, if you are over 25 years of age, you five years contributions paid. All the information anyone needs about Dental Benefits is hidden under the ludricous title "Treatment Benefits" (now who dreamed up that one?) on www.welfare.ie . Optical benefit information is also there.


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## Welfarite (12 Sep 2007)

mo3art said:


> Also bear in mind that the dental benefit department is normally up to a year behind in your contributions as they are only credited to you in January. So if you started working in the middle of the year and are short a few months in say August, you need to ring them and request that the credits go onto the system so you qualify.


This is confusing. "credits" do not count towards the 260 mcontributions made. Perhaps you mean that any contributions paid in the current tax year (2007) may need to be notified to the department to make up the to the 260 total?



mo3art said:


> If you were in full time education in the state you give them evidence of this and the limit of 5 years is discounted against you. I had to do this a few years ago and got my free cleaning and discounted fillings etc.
> 
> Sounds more complicated than it is....


 
are you sure about this? AFAIK, there is no "discount" from the 260 paid total needed when you are over 25. what is a "limit of 5 years"?


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## mo3art (12 Sep 2007)

In answer to your first question, yes welfarite you need to arrange for the credits for the current year to be added so as to make up the total 260.

In answer to your second question, I haven't a clue how it works all I can tell you is what I was informed when i rang to query my own dental benefit.  I got dental benefits in the end, despite being over 25 and without the recommended 260 weeks credits.


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## gipimann (13 Sep 2007)

It's possible to be granted pre-entry or student credited contributions, which may explain receipt of benefit without 260 contributions.   Here's the information from the Welfare Website:

*Pre-entry credits*

When you first start work you are automatically given credits. These Pre-entry credits are given from the beginning of the tax year in which you start work, up to the date you start work, and for the 2 previous tax years. Pre-entry credits are not given if you pay *Class J* contributions only in your job.
These credits may help you to qualify for Illness, Jobseekers, Maternity or Adoptive Benefit as soon as you have worked and paid PRSI contributions for 52 weeks. Pre-entry credits are normally given only once.
*Student credits*

Credits may be given for periods in full-time education, for example, third level, if a person:

worked before starting the course and paid PRSI *Class A*,
started the course before reaching age 23

*and*
has started in their first full-time insurable employment at Class A.
When you apply for Student credits, you need to supply:

written confirmation from your school or college stating that you were a student there, and
the dates you attended the school or college.
Student credits are given only once and are not counted towards future entitlement to social welfare pensions.


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## Welfarite (13 Sep 2007)

You need 260 PAID...repeat, PAID contributions. Pre-entry credits, student credits, illness credits, jobseekers' credits are not counted. Where credits do come in is when a GCY (governing contribution year) falls short of the required 39 contributions/credits total. This, I suspect, is what happened in Mo3art's case.


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