Change needed so widows can get Illness Benefit – Lynch

The Minister for Social Protection must address an anomaly in the social welfare system which prevents young widowed people from accessing the Illness Benefit payment if they are off sick from work, said a Fine Gael Senator.

Senator Eileen Lynch has called on Minister Dara Calleary to make changes to the rules around the Widow’s Pension so that those in receipt of the payment can receive Illness Benefit.

“At present a person in receipt of a Widow’s Pension cannot access Illness Benefit. This is a particularly important issue for young widowed people who are working hard and trying to raise a family by themselves.

“If they have to go on sick leave, they are not entitled to sick pay. They cannot access the benefit of their PRSI stamps. This is discriminatory and incredibly unfair.

“I accept there is a general principle in the social welfare system that you cannot receive two payments at the same time however there are exceptions, for example, a person can receive the half rate carers payment along with their primary payment or pension.

“The Widow’s Pension is generally based on the contributions of the deceased partner or spouse. Their loved one should still be able to access the benefits of their own PRSI contributions which they make through their pay packet every week.

“Given that most people are only off sick for a short period of time, the costs of allowing people on the Widow’s Pension to access Illness Benefit, would be relatively small.

“This would be a small change but it would mean a lot to widows and give them peace of mind that if they get sick, there is support available for them”, concluded Senator Lynch.