Level of Jurisdiction: National
Overview: The Irish Government established a welfare payment for people diagnosed with COVID-19 or required to self-isolate. Anyone diagnosed with COVID-19, or suspected of having COID-19 and required to self-isolate, will be eligible for an enhanced Illness Benefit payment of €350 per week.
This measure is part of the government”s €6.3 billion stimulus package.
To qualify, a person must be self-isolating on the instruction of a doctor or the HSE (Health Service Executive) or diagnosed with COVID-19 and be absent from work and confined to their home or a medical facility.
The enhanced Illness Benefit payment was originally set at a rate of €305 per week but was increased by the government on 24 March. The normal Illness Benefit rate is €203 per week.
The benefit will be paid for a maximum of two weeks where a person is self-isolating and for a maximum of 10 weeks if a person has been diagnosed with COVID-19. If a person has been certified for less than 10 weeks, they will be paid for the duration of their certificate.
Other changes have been made to the ordinary operation of the benefit for the purposes of COVID-19. A person will not have to wait 6 days before applying for the Illness Benefit, as is ordinarily required.
The normal social insurance requirements for Illness Benefit will be waived or the means test for Supplementary Welfare Allowance will be removed for people diagnosed with COVID-19, or required to self-isolate.
Self-employed people will be eligible for the Illness Benefit and Supplementary Welfare Allowance.
Full details here: https://www.gov.ie/en/service/df55ae-how-to-apply-for-illness-benefit-for-covid-19-absences/