Illness benefit vs invalidity pension

ruger2012

Hi am an NI resident but I worked in the south have been on illness benefit for 10 months the social welfare sent me for a medical and was deemed unfit for until at least may 2019. Do i have to switch to invalidity pension after a certain time and is there any benefit in doing so apart from slight increase in payment do you still have to send in sick lines for invalidity pension

Squatter

ruger2012 wrote: »

Hi am an NI resident but I worked in the south have been on illness benefit for 10 months the social welfare sent me for a medical and was deemed unfit for until at least may 2019. Do i have to switch to invalidity pension after a certain time and is there any benefit in doing so apart from slight increase in payment do you still have to send in sick lines for invalidity pension

You will get Illness Benefit for a maximum of 2 years if you have at least 260 weeks PRSI contributions paid since you first started work,

or

for 1 year if you have between 104 and 259 weeks PRSI contributions paid since you first started work.

Social welfare will contact you before your payment is due to stop to tell you when the payment will stop and what your options are.

If you feel that it is likely you will still be unfit for work, for a further minimum period of at least 12 months, after your entitlement to Illness Benefit has ended, you may claim Invalidity Pension (based on your PRSI record) or Disability Allowance (which is means tested).

see more here:- http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/345_Illness-Benefit.aspx

splinter65

If you get invalidity pension you no longer have to send in certs.
You will automatically be awarded free travel.
Depending on who you are living with you could get free tv license and electricity allowance.
Your illness Benefit will only last 2 years max.