Covid 19 - Pregnant and signed off from work

Habitual

Hi, my wife works in childcare and has been on full payment since creches were closed. My wife is pregnant and due in September. She is due back to work on the 29th of June but her consultant has signed her off for the rest of her pregnancy as she is high risk if she caught Covid 19.So essentially she is being signed off due to being high risk and not due to anything being physically wrong with her.

Her work sent her through forms for applying for illness benefit. My questions is, should she be receiving illness benefit or the Covid19 payment? There is a substantial difference between both.

I have searched online and cannot find an answer to this particular issue. Appreciate any input or advice on which department to speak to.

Outkast_IRE

Just illness benefit - if her job is available but she is not in a position to take it back , then illness benefit is the most she could apply for.

If your wife is not ill, she may not be entitled to illness benefit. At present, HSE advice is that pregnant women are at no more risk than anyone else.

https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/coronavirus-and-pregnancy.html

Habitual

Dav010 wrote: »

If your wife is not ill, she may not be entitled to illness benefit. At present, HSE advice is that pregnant women are at no more risk than anyone else.

https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/coronavirus-and-pregnancy.html

Thanks but as they are finding out more about Covid they are finding that there are possible implications for the child if not the mother. Potentially later in life if no immediate.

https://www.today.com/health/coronavirus-pregnancy-covid-19-damages-placenta-infected-pregnant-women-study-t182493

Her doctor who is a senior consultant at Holles Street was the one who suggested she should not return to work as she will be surrouded by 150 children who could be asymptomatic and and it would add unnecessary risks. It is a difficult one, whilst we do need her salary, we cannot ignore the doctors advice either.

So in this case she may not be entitled to any benefit even though she is being directly affected in her ability to work by Covid.

Minier81

I believe she will get illness benefit. The consultant signed her off for pregnancy related reasons so illness benefit until maternity leave as far as I know. Definitely not covid payment.

Mrs OBumble

Dav010 wrote: »

If your wife is not ill, she may not be entitled to illness benefit. At present, HSE advice is that pregnant women are at no more risk than anyone else.

https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/coronavirus-and-pregnancy.html

If a doctor has signed her off, she should get either illness or Health and Safety ( I think that's what it's call) benefit.

Mrs OBumble

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

If a doctor has signed her off, she should get either illness or Health and Safety ( I think that's what it's call) benefit.

The op’s wife really should be discussing this with the relevant benefits Dept rather than seeking advice online. But currently, going by the op, she is neither ill nor falls into any of the at risk categories.

Habitual

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

If a doctor has signed her off, she should get either illness or Health and Safety ( I think that's what it's call) benefit.

Thanks. Appreciate all the input and information. Mods can close thread as issue resolved.

amdublin

Dav010 wrote: »

The op’s wife really should be discussing this with the relevant benefits Dept rather than seeking advice online. But currently, going by the op, she is neither ill nor falls into any of the at risk categories.

???

She has been signed off by her Dr as ill

amdublin

amdublin wrote: »

???

She has been signed off by her Dr as ill

Read the op.

maxsmum

Pregnancy related illness entitles you to illness benefit. I've had it.

Outkast_IRE

We should probably note here that the HSE guidance is not amazing on the whole subject.

The RCOG is the go to for this subject matter in this part of the world , here is a quote from their latest guidance available here for anyone else interested.

From personal experience , each GPs and specialist is giving different info to their patients . There is no major consensus. What is known is that picking up any respiratory infection in third trimester is a serious risk , so sensible precautions should be taken.

In my wives case, she is still working from home when most of her team have returned to the office. As her GP agrees it is not worth risking an unborn baby if you are capable of carrying on working form home. Money and profit should not be put before people in this situation.

https://www.rcog.org.uk/globalassets/documents/guidelines/2020-05-22-occupational-health-advice-for-employers-and-pregnant-women-during-the-covid-19-pandemic.pdf

Summary - Pregnant women are to be considered in the vulnerable group -

"It is known from other respiratory infections (e.g. influenza, SARS)1,2 that pregnant woman who contract
significant respiratory infections in the third trimester are more likely to become seriously unwell. This may also
lead to preterm birth of their baby, intended to enable the woman to recover through improving the efficiency
of her breathing or ventilation.3,4
On 11 May 2020, the UK Obstetric Surveillance System (UKOSS) published interim findings on 427 women
admitted to hospital in the UK with COVID-19. In the UKOSS data, the median gestational age at hospital
admission was 34 completed weeks’ gestation (IQR 29–38). Most women were hospitalised in the third
trimester of pregnancy or peripartum (n=342, 81%). There was also evidence that pregnant women admitted
to hospital with COVID-19 were more likely to be of black, Asian or other minority ethnicity (BAME; aOR
4.49, 95% CI 3.37–6.00), suggesting that pregnant women from BAME groups are at particularly increased risk.
Given these additional considerations for pregnant women who become seriously unwell in the later stages of
pregnancy, the Government has taken the precautionary approach to include pregnant women in a vulnerable
group. This is so that pregnant women are aware of the current lack of available evidence relating to this virus
in pregnancy; and particularly, to encourage awareness that pregnant women in later stages of pregnancy could
potentially become more seriously unwell.

maxsmum

maxsmum wrote: »

Pregnancy related illness entitles you to illness benefit. I've had it.

But in this case there is no illness according to the op, there is only a risk of illness, and she does not fall into the risk categories for a Covid according to the HSE. I think what the op is asking is which payment she would be entitled to, if any, only the Dept of Social Affairs can answer that.

maxsmum

Dav010 wrote: »

But in this case there is no illness according to the op, there is only a risk of illness, and she does not fall into the risk categories for a Covid according to the HSE. I think what the op is asking is which payment she would be entitled to, if any, only the Dept of Social Affairs can answer that.

But her Dr is just going to sign the form as 'pregnancy related illness'. That's just what they say for 'too wrecked' 'needs a break' 'not to work anymore'. I'm talking from my own experience BTW, not saying that's the OPs position, but that's the catch all phrase. It's a gesture of kindness. It's not necessarily kosher.

amdublin

maxsmum wrote: »

But her Dr is just going to sign the form as 'pregnancy related illness'. That's just what they say for 'too wrecked' 'needs a break' 'not to work anymore'. I'm talking from my own experience BTW, not saying that's the OPs position, but that's the catch all phrase. It's a gesture of kindness. It's not necessarily kosher.

This