Apply for Illness Benefit in Ireland

Find out if your PRSI record qualifies you, how sick pay from your employer fits in, and how to claim online in a few minutes once your GP certifies you.

Illness Benefit is a weekly payment if you are too sick to work and have enough PRSI (Pay Related Social Insurance) contributions. You get a medical certificate from your GP, then claim on MyWelfare.ie or with paper form IB1.

Who this is for

• You are under 66, or aged 66 to 70 and not getting a State Pension.
• A doctor certifies that you cannot work.
• You have at least 104 weeks of PRSI paid since you started work, in Class A, E, H or P.
• You also have 39 weeks paid or credited in the relevant tax year (with 13 paid), or 26 weeks paid in that year and 26 in the year before.
• For a claim in 2026, the relevant tax year is 2024.

Sick pay from your employer comes first

Employees with 13 weeks' service get 5 days of statutory sick pay a year. This is still 5 days in 2026. You cannot get Illness Benefit for days your employer pays as statutory sick leave.

If your first illness of the year lasts more than 5 days, Illness Benefit starts on day 6. If you have already used your 5 days, it starts on day 4, after 3 waiting days. Sundays do not count as waiting days.

What you need

• A Certificate of Incapacity for Work from your GP, covering your first day of illness
• Your PPS (Personal Public Service) number
• A verified MyGovID account to apply online
• The date your illness started
• Bank, building society, credit union or post office account details
• Details of any adult or child dependants you are claiming for

Step by step: apply online

1. See your GP and ask for a Certificate of Incapacity for Work.
2. Check if your GP can send the certificate electronically. If not, keep the paper certificate to post.
3. Log in to MyWelfare.ie with your verified MyGovID.
4. Choose Illness Benefit and enter your first day of illness.
5. Add your bank details and any dependants, then submit.
6. Send each new certificate your GP gives you, unless your GP sends it electronically.
7. Tell the Department when you are fit to return. Ask your doctor to mark your last certificate as final.

Step by step: apply on paper

1. Get form IB1 from your GP, or ask for one at illnessbenefit@welfare.ie.
2. Fill it in and sign it. If you are aged 66 to 70, you must use this paper form.
3. Post it with your medical certificate to Illness Benefit Section, Social Welfare Services, PO Box 1650, Dublin 1.

How much it costs and how long it takes

The certificate itself has no charge, but your GP may charge for the visit. Your rate depends on your average weekly earnings in the relevant tax year.

Payment is weekly and taxable, but no PRSI or USC (Universal Social Charge) is taken. Revenue collects any tax due. Child Support Payment is €58 a week for each child under 12 and €78 for each child aged 12 or over, rising to €64 and €84 under Budget 2027.

Common mistakes

• Waiting too long. You must claim within 6 weeks of becoming ill.
• Leaving a gap in certificates. Your cover must start on your first day of illness.
• Using an online doctor or urgent care certificate for a long illness. These are accepted only for the first 6 weeks.
• Claiming while on holiday pay from your employer. You cannot get both.
• Forgetting to close your claim when you go back to work.

Related guides

• How to get a verified MyGovID
• How to get a PPS number
• How to apply for Disability Allowance
• How to apply for Jobseeker's Benefit or Allowance
• How to get a Drugs Payment Scheme card