Eurofound's EU PolicyWatch collates information on the responses of government and social partners to the COVID-19 crisis, the war in Ukraine, rising inflation, as well as gathering examples of company practices aimed at mitigating the social and economic impacts.
Factsheet for measure IE-2020-11/783 – Updated – measures in Ireland
Country | Ireland , applies nationwide |
Time period | Temporary, 13 March 2020 – 30 September 2022 |
Context | COVID-19 |
Type | Legislations or other statutory regulations |
Category |
Income protection beyond short-time work
– Paid sick leave |
Author | Roisin Farelly (IRN Publishing) and Eurofound |
Measure added | 25 April 2020 (updated 28 February 2023) |
This is a boosted illness benefit entitlement for workers absent from work due to self-isolation or COVID-related medical treatment. When a worker is told to self-isolate by a doctor or the Irish Health Service Executive (HSE) due to being a possible source of infection or has been diagnosed with COVID-19 (Coronavirus) by a doctor, they can apply for an enhanced Illness Benefit payment of €350 per week.
To be eligible for this payment a person must be confined to their home or a medical facility.
The related legislation is: S.I. No. 97/2020 - Social Welfare (Consolidated Claims, Payments and Control) (Amendment) (No. 4) (Illness Benefit Payments Arising from COVID-19) Regulations 2020. It was passed on 3 April, but with from 9 March 2020.
To receive the enhanced payment, a worker must be self-isolating on the instruction of a doctor or the Health Service Executive (HSE) due to being a possible source of infection or diagnosed with COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and absent from work and confined to home or a medical facility.
The personal rate for this payment is €350, as compared with the normal Illness Benefit rate of €203. It was originally set at a rate of €305 but was increased by Government on March 24.
It will be paid for a maximum of 2 weeks where a person is self-isolating due to being a possible source of infection, and for a maximum of 10 weeks if a person has been diagnosed with COVID-19 (Coronavirus). If a person has been certified for less than 10 weeks, they will be paid for the duration of their certificate.
Application can be done online or by post with supporting documentation from an individual worker's doctor.
The following updates to this measure have been made after it came into effect.
03 October 2022 |
This payment ended on 30 September 2022. |
28 June 2022 |
This was extended until the end of June 2022 and then again until the end of September 2022. According to the Department of Social Protection: "In the week from Friday, 10th June 2022 to Thursday, 16th June 2022, some 4,546 people were medically certified for receipt of a COVID-19 related Illness Benefit payment." In addition, up to 21st June 2022, "some 516,433 people have been medically certified for receipt of a COVID-19 related Illness Benefit payment. The total amount paid in this support to date is €313.54 million." |
02 July 2021 |
This is extended until 8 February 2022. |
23 February 2021 |
Government announced this is extended until the end of June 2021. |
Figures from the Department of Social Protection show that up to 9 March 2021, 140,249 people have been medically certified to receive a COVID-19 related Illness Benefit payment; 75,631 are female and 64,618 are male. The Wholesale and Retail Trade and Repair of Motor Vehicles and motorcycles accounted for the sector with highest number of people certified (at 30,697). This was followed by Human Health And Social Work activities at 25,901 and Manufacturing at 19,204.
Between March and November 2020, a cumulative total of 81,999 people under the age of 66 have been medically certified to receive the COVID-19 Enhanced Illness Benefit.
According to the Department of Social Protection, up to the 21 June 2022, 516,433 people have been medically certified to receive a COVID-19 related Illness Benefit payment. The total amount paid in this support to date is €313.54 million.
Workers | Businesses | Citizens |
---|---|---|
Applies to all workers | Does not apply to businesses | Does not apply to citizens |
Actors | Funding |
---|---|
National government
|
National funds
|
Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:
Trade unions | Employers' organisations | |
---|---|---|
Role | No involvement | No involvement |
Form | Not applicable | Not applicable |
Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:
No involvement.
No involvement.
Citation
Eurofound (2020), Increased illness benefit for COVID-19 absences, measure IE-2020-11/783 (measures in Ireland), EU PolicyWatch, Dublin, https://static.eurofound.europa.eu/covid19db/cases/IE-2020-11_783.html
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