Treatment Benefit is a social insurance scheme provided by the Department. Under this scheme, eligible contributors can access dental and optical services, and grants towards certain medical appliances (hearing aids, medical lenses or wigs).
To qualify for most social insurance payments in Ireland, a person must satisfy two conditions, first have a certain number of PRSI contributions paid since they started work and secondly, they must have a certain number of PRSI contributions paid or credited in the relevant or governing contribution year. The Governing Contribution Year is the second last complete contribution year before the benefit year in which the claim is made. The reason for the requirement to have paid contributions in the manner set out in legislation is to demonstrate a person's attachment to the workforce.
Contributions made under social insurance (PRSI) Classes A, E, P, H or S count towards eligibility for Treatment Benefit. The amount of social insurance contributions required depends on the person's age, taking into account their opportunity to have accumulated contributions.
For example, a person aged 29 to 65 must have at least 260 paid contributions, and either have 39 paid or credited contributions in the governing contribution year or 26 paid contributions in each of the second and third last contribution year. If a person qualifies for Treatment benefit at age 60-65, they keep that entitlement for life.
Any changes to the current system would have to be considered in an overall policy and budgetary context, taking account of the prevailing economic circumstances, and in particular the sustainability of the Social Insurance Fund.
