European Foundation
for the Improvement of
Living and Working Conditions

The tripartite EU agency providing knowledge to assist
in the development of better social, employment and
work-related policies

EU PolicyWatch

Database of national-level policy measures

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

Increased illness benefit for COVID-19 absences

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)

Background information

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.

Content of measure

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.

Updates

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.

Use of measure

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.

Target groups

Workers Businesses Citizens
Applies to all workers Does not apply to businesses Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors Funding
National government
National funds

Social partners

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
  • Main level of involvement: Unknown

Involvement

No involvement.

Views and reactions

No involvement.

Sources

  • 03 April 2020: S.I. No. 97/2020 - Social Welfare (Consolidated Claims, Payments and Control) (Amendment) (No. 4) (Illness Benefit Payments Arising from Covid-19) (www.irishstatutebook.ie)
  • 25 April 2020: Gov.ie (www.gov.ie)
  • 23 February 2021: Pandemic Unemployment Payment & Enhanced Illness Benefit to continue until end June – Minister Humphreys (www.gov.ie)
  • 10 March 2021: Update on payments awarded for COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment and Enhanced Illness Benefit (www.gov.ie)
  • 10 March 2021: Update on Payments Awarded for Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment and Enhanced Illness Benefit
  • 02 July 2021: COVID-19 enhanced Illness Benefit (www.citizensinformation.ie)
  • 21 June 2022: Minister Humphreys extends Enhanced Illness Benefit until end of September (www.gov.ie)

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

Share

Eurofound publications based on EU PolicyWatch

30 January 2023

 

Measures to lessen the impact of the inflation and energy crisis on citizens

Governments across the EU continue to implement policies to support citizens and businesses in the face of rising food and energy prices caused by the COVID-19 crisis and intensified by the war in Ukraine. This article summarises the policy responses as reported in Eurofound's EU PolicyWatch database from January to September 2022.

Article

12 September 2022

 

First responses to cushion the impact of inflation on citizens

Although the worldwide pandemic situation had already disrupted supply chains and triggered increases in energy and food prices in 2021, the situation deteriorated in 2022 with the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Article

12 September 2022

 

Policies to support EU companies affected by the war in Ukraine

This article summarises the first policy responses that governments across the EU have started to implement to support companies affected by the rising prices, and those with commercial ties to Ukraine, Russia or Belarus.

Article

5 July 2022

 

Policies to support refugees from Ukraine

This article summarises the first policy responses of EU Member States, including those of the social partners and other civil society actors, enabling refugees to exercise their rights under the Temporary Protection Directive.

Article

Disclaimer: This information has not been subject to the full Eurofound evaluation, editorial and publication process.