Advice on disability/Ilness benefit

Heartland

Hi, hoping someone with a similar experience can advise me on this. I have been out sick from work with a serious sports injury for the past week. It looks like it will not be possible for me to return to my office job in the short to medium term (if at all).
I can go on Ilness benefit (with doctors certs, etc.) but seeing as the injury is of a serious nature and looks to have me out of action for months rather than days or weeks should I be seeking some other payment like disability? I've read all of the info on both payments on the citizens advice site but I'm interested to hear any experiences that people have had. Is is better to go seeking the longer term benefits sooner or should I just stay on sick leave for the time being? It would obviously be preferable for my employer to replace me if I know I'm not gonna be able to go back, rather than having an employee on long term sick leave.
Appreciate any help or advice that anyone might have.

boomerang

Heartland I think you only apply for disability benefit if you expect to be out of work for a year or more.

The wait time from the department is so long (months, years!) that if you feel the above is possible, I'd be apply now. But then at this early stage you probably haven't sufficient medical evidence to support your claim.

Sorry to hear about your injury.

Heartland

Thanks boomerang. I have heard the waiting times are ridiculous so I'm wary of going down that route. The nature of the injury means until I go and start a course of rehab I won't know how long I'll be incapacitated. I could be back in action in 6 months, but I won't know until I go down that road. It's very frustrating not knowing what lies ahead and hard to make any real plans. Looks like I'll be in a bit of a limbo for the next few months, as will my employer.

chargerman

Hey man, I had a injury last March (2012) Applied for disability. I sent off the forms around Paddys weekend and in Feb of this year I got turned down!It took 11 months for the decision. My doctor said 60% of his patients are turned down .
I had lived overseas for 2 years so didn't pay any tax in 2010 and 2011, for that reason, I was also turned down for illness benefit. But I got a supplementary welfare instead. Its a pain trying to sort it out

Just luck had it, I returned to work in Feb of this year - a week before I got turned down for disability. My doc said I would be out 12 months but I was out 11

fatherted1969

Heartland wrote: »

Hi, hoping someone with a similar experience can advise me on this. I have been out sick from work with a serious sports injury for the past week. It looks like it will not be possible for me to return to my office job in the short to medium term (if at all).
I can go on Ilness benefit (with doctors certs, etc.) but seeing as the injury is of a serious nature and looks to have me out of action for months rather than days or weeks should I be seeking some other payment like disability? I've read all of the info on both payments on the citizens advice site but I'm interested to hear any experiences that people have had. Is is better to go seeking the longer term benefits sooner or should I just stay on sick leave for the time being? It would obviously be preferable for my employer to replace me if I know I'm not gonna be able to go back, rather than having an employee on long term sick leave.
Appreciate any help or advice that anyone might have.

I'm open to correction but i think you start on illness benefit first and after six months of that if your still unable to work it reverts to disability benefit (think that's the way it was for me anyway) think also there's a medical inspection of sorts for disability benefit.

The rules have changed for disability as well. You can claim disability benefit for a maximum of 2 years then it reverts to disability assistance which is means tested.

If your still unable to work in 6 months make sure to apply disablement pension.

Heartland

Jesus chargerman, that's awful! 11 months for a response! Unbelievable. I should have the stamps for Ilness benefit but I was advised that they(allegedly) turn down 75% of applicants as a policy, regardless of your application. Kind of a way to sort the wheat from the chaff, if you're determined enough you must be sick enough kind of thing. I am prepared to be turned down and reapply. I have a solid case with proper medical evidence and the like.

Thanks for the advice fatherted1969, I'll look into that.

fatherted1969

Heartland wrote: »

Jesus chargerman, that's awful! 11 months for a response! Unbelievable. I should have the stamps for Ilness benefit but I was advised that they(allegedly) turn down 75% of applicants as a policy, regardless of your application. Kind of a way to sort the wheat from the chaff, if you're determined enough you must be sick enough kind of thing. I am prepared to be turned down and reapply. I have a solid case with proper medical evidence and the like.

Thanks for the advice fatherted1969, I'll look into that.

Meant to add also that disablement pension is based on your % able you are to work now as opposed to what you were like before. It assessed on a % basis with 30% being the maximum you can get. Under 20% is a lump sum and over is a pension paid monthly. You can return to work and retain it but you have to declare it to revenue. I went through it all in 2007 so rules may have changed a little since then.

I had all those refusals but if you persevere you'll get there. Best of luck

Cushie Butterfield

There's a bit of wrong info/crossed wires here.

There's no such thing as Disablement Pension (Disability Benefit is now called Illness Benefit). Disablement Benefit (and Injury Benefit) is payable to people who suffered an occupational injury -> an injury or illness that happened at work, because of the type work you do, or while travelling to or from work . Incapacity Supplement also falls under occupational injuries, as you have to be claiming Disablement Benefit in order to apply (as well as not qualifying to claim Illness Benefit, Invalidity Pension or Disability Allowance).

None of these would be applicable to you as you state that you suffered a sports injury but work in an office, so it's more than likely not a work related injury, so you're looking at either Illness Benefit, Invalidity Pension or Disability Allowance. You can apply for Partial Capacity Benefit if you have been claiming Illness Benefit or Invalidity Pension for 6 months.

You say you're entitled to Illness Benefit, so provided that you satisfy the PRSI conditions that's what you should apply for to begin with. It can be paid for up to 2 years (depending on your PRSI contributions record & of course provided your illness continues) The majority of applications go through without much fuss & your claim is flagged for review from the outset depending on the nature of the illness. This would usually be anything from a few weeks upwards.

Unless you are suffering from a severe medical condition or one that can categorically be described as going to last at least a year there is little point in applying for Invalidity Pension or Disability Allowance. The vast majority of people would need to have been suffering from the medical condition for at least 12 months (unless it's a major medical condition e.g. sudden severe brain damage or loss of mobility etc).

Provided you satisfy the medical criteria for either of the above the main difference is that IP is based on your PRSI contribution record & is not means tested. DA is not based on your PRSI contribution record but is means tested. To apply for either (unless it's a very serious illness or medical condition) you must have been incapable of work for at least 12 months and be likely to be incapable of work for at least another 12 months.

For a sports injury that's likely to result in recovery there's really no point in you applying for IP or DA at this early stage. If, after claiming Illness Benefit for 12 months you are still incapable of work, you should apply at that stage. Hopefully you will make a speedy recovery, but in the event that your Illness Benefit runs out & you have applied for & are waiting a decison on IP or DA, you can apply for Supplementary Welfare Allowance.

Heartland

Thanks for the info Cushie, that's really helpful.