767. Deputy Máire Devine asked the Minister for Social Protection to outline any supports available to a person (details supplied) who is currently undergoing chemotherapy following a breast cancer diagnosis, and experiencing significant financial hardship due to their ineligibility for illness benefit. [35140/26]

My Department has not received an Illness Benefit application from the person concerned.

Illness Benefit is the primary short term income support provided by my department to those who are unable to work due to illness of any type and who are covered by social insurance. Eligibility for Illness Benefit depends on the person’s PRSI record and class. The person must have made the required number of contributions under class A, E, H or P to qualify.  In general, self-employed people make PRSI contributions at class S which does not provide entitlement to Illness Benefit.

Self-employed contributors do have access to over 90% of benefits available to employed contributors. The only benefits that class S PRSI does not provide access to are Health and Safety Benefit, Illness Benefit and Occupational Injuries Benefits. Self-employed contributors who are ill may qualify for Invalidity Pension.

If the person is in urgent need of financial assistance, it is open for them to contact the Community Welfare Officer in their local Intreo office to enquire about assistance under the means-tested Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme.

To qualify for Supplementary Welfare Allowance, the person’s income must be below a certain amount.

The Department of Social Protection examines all sources of income. If the individual is married, in a civil partnership or cohabiting, the total income of the couple is added together in the means test.