Cohabiting query

Not at all sure how you could be on illness benefit since 2009, the maximum a person can be on it is Two years assuming you've enough contributions.

Operational Guidelines: Illness Benefit

Quote:

" Exception to limited duration 624 days

• A customer who makes a claim for IB which starts after 5 January 2009 but which is part of the same period of incapacity (in other words not separated by more than 3 days) as a previous IB claim which started before 5 January 2009 will be entitled to payment for a continuous duration. To form the same period of incapacity the new IB claim can be linked to the previous IB claim through a paid claim for Illness Benefit, Occupational Injury Benefit, Invalidity Pension, Back to Work Allowance, Back To Education Allowance, Carer's Allowance or Carer's Benefit.

For example, a customer is in receipt of:

• IB from 22 September 2008 to 20 January 2009
• Carer's Allowance from 21 January 2009 to 30 April 2009
• Claims IB from 1 May 2009. This customer is entitled to receive payment of IB for a "continuous duration" as each claim is not separated by more than 3 days and, therefore, form one period of incapacity.

Continuous duration (CD)

Prior to 5 January 2009 a customer who has paid a total of 260 or more contributions at an appropriate class, since entering employment, is entitled to receive payment of Illness Benefit for as long as that customer is incapable of work up to the age of 66. A claim category of 'continuous duration' (CD) applies in this case.

A customer who was in receipt of Illness Benefit on 4 July 1988 (when the total contributions required changed from 208 to 260) is entitled to Illness Benefit continuously if their claims form a part of a period of incapacity for work which commenced before 4 July 1988."

The customer is also entitled to a weekly PRSI credit- which under certain conditions can be used for an entitlement to a contributory pension. Somebody on IB/Continuous duration has clocked up well over 850 credits.

IB/CD is a non means tested payment. So it is rather convenient for someone with additional means or income. You can have a million euros on the bank, own a large farm and the wife could run a lucrative business. You would still get the full rate. The only drawback until recently was the lack of a Christmas bonus- but that got changed as well. None of the persons on IB/CD expected to be on it for so long. Nobody has a crystal ball. The department does not force people of the old scheme- and everyone on it reaches 66 at one stage. This thing will simply cease to exist the natural way.

I was on it myself for a long time and I never asked to be put on DA. It would have been of no benefit to me.