Sickness
What is Sickness Benefit?
Sickness Benefit is designed to supplement wages lost by an insured
person who is incapable of work due to bodily or mental illness, except
in the case of injury or disease received on the job.
How to claim Sickness Benefit?
The claim for a sickness benefit is made on an Employment
Injury/Sickness form which can be obtained from your Employer, the
Doctor or the National Insurance Scheme. The medical certificate must be
completed by a registered Medical Doctor.
When to claim for Sickness Benefit
A claim for Sickness Benefit must be made within four days from the date
your illness began.
Who qualifies for a Sickness Benefit?
The claimant must:
* Be between the ages of 16 and 60
* Have been rendered temporarily incapable of work because of illness
(physical or mental)
* Have been in insurable employment at the time the illness began
* Have been insured for not less than 13 weeks and paid at least 8 weeks
contributions immediately prior to sick leave.
* Must be losing earnings from the Employer
Sickness Benefit is only payable if the person is sick for four days or
more; payment will be made from the first day of the sick leave provided
it is not the last day worked.
What is the rate of Sickness Benefit?
The rate of sickness benefit is 65% of your average weekly insurable
earnings in the 13-week period before the illness began.
What is the duration of Sickness Benefit?
Sickness Benefit is payable initially for up to a maximum period of 26
weeks. A further 26 weeks may be payable if the insured person had been
engaged in employment for at least 150 contribution weeks and in the
last three complete contribution years has 75 paid or credited
contributions. Sundays are excluded when calculating a sickness benefit
but all public holidays are included.
Disqualification
An insured person may be disqualified from receiving a sickness benefit
if he/she:
* Is unable to work through his/her own misconduct;
* Fails to comply with a notice in writing by the Director of the NIS
requiring him/her to take a medical or other examination;
* Behaves without good reason in a manner calculated to retard his or
her recovery;
* Is undergoing imprisonment or detention in legal custody
* Undertakes work for which remuneration is or would ordinarily be
payable;
* Fails without good cause to answer any queries made by an officer of
the Board designed to ascertain the person’s continuing entitlement to
benefit.