The Irish government has today confirmed that the Covid-19 Illness benefit will be available until September 2022 as cases soar once again.
In what has been coined the “summer wave,” it is believed there are around 10,000 people testing positive on a daily basis - that is according to estimations made by Professor Christine Loscher, who spoke last week.
While some are asymptomatic and able to work from home, others are unable to carry out their face-to-face duties, which means they are not entitled to be paid by their employer.
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The illness benefit will therefore continue from the end of June and will run until September when things will be reassessed once more.
The Enhanced Illness Benefit was introduced at the beginning of the pandemic as a support for those diagnosed with the virus - who were unable to attend work.
Recipients will continue to receive a weekly rate of €350, which is paid from the first day of illness.
There have been over 516,000 people eligible for the payment with the total amount paid out at €313 million.
In the week from June 10-16 2022, some 4,546 people were medically certified for receipt of a Covid-19 related Illness Benefit payment.
Speaking about the announcement, Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys said: "As we're currently experiencing an increase in the number of people being diagnosed with Covid-19 in our communities, my Government colleagues and I want to ensure that this financial support continues to be available to these workers, should they contract the virus.”
The period for which the Enhanced Illness Benefit was to be made available was previously extended from February 2022 to the end of June 2022.
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