104. Deputy Dan Neville asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the status of a claim under the illness benefit scheme by a person (details supplied) in County Limerick; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43563/15]

Illness benefit is a payment for people who cannot work due to illness and who satisfy the pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions. One of the PRSI conditions is that a person must have a minimum of 39 reckonable contributions paid or credited in the governing contribution year. Claims made in 2015 are governed by the 2013 tax year, and only PRSI Classes A, E, H, and P are reckonable for illness benefit purposes.

The person concerned made an application for illness benefit from 19 Oct 2015 and has an entitlement to illness benefit at the graduated personal weekly rate of €147.30 based on weekly earnings of €231.29 in 2013 . They also qualify for payment of qualified child allowance at the rate of €59.60. The total weekly entitlement is €206.90.

The person concerned was in receipt of supplementary welfare allowance at the time the application for illness benefit was made. Supplementary welfare allowance is a means tested payment and it was necessary to offset any arrears of illness benefit against the amount paid by way of supplementary allowance. This has now been done and illness benefit payment issued to the bank account of the person concerned on 23/11/15.