If you are too ill to work in Ireland, there are two entirely separate systems that might pay you, and they are run by two different bodies. Statutory sick pay comes from your employer. Illness Benefit comes from the Department of Social Protection. They have different rules, different amounts and different paperwork, and most people only find out how they interact on the day they need them.
This guide explains both, in the order you would actually encounter them.
Figures below are as of August 2026. Social welfare rates change with each Budget, usually from the start of January, so check the official source before relying on an amount.
Statutory sick pay (SSP) is a minimum legal entitlement introduced by the Sick Leave Act 2022. It obliges your employer to pay you for a set number of sick days each calendar year.
As of August 2026, the entitlement is:
The Act originally set out a phased increase to 7 days and then 10 days. That increase was not commenced — the Government confirmed in early 2025 that the entitlement would stay at 5 days, and it remained at 5 days into 2026. If you have read an older article promising 7 or 10 days, that is why it does not match your payslip.
You can estimate what you are owed with our statutory sick pay calculator.
No. The statutory scheme is a floor, not a ceiling. If your employer already operates a sick pay scheme that is more favourable overall — for example, full pay for the first four weeks — that scheme applies instead, and you do not get the statutory days on top of it.
Read your contract or staff handbook first. A large number of Irish employers, particularly in the public sector and in larger private employers, have occupational sick pay arrangements that are far more generous than the statutory minimum.
Statutory sick pay is an employment right, and a dispute goes to the Workplace Relations Commission. Complaints are generally subject to a six-month time limit from the date of the contravention, extendable to twelve months for reasonable cause. Keep your certificate and any correspondence.
Illness Benefit is a weekly payment from the Department of Social Protection for people who cannot work because of illness. It is a social insurance payment, so it depends on your PRSI record, not on your household means.
Key points as of August 2026:
Because the rate depends on your own earnings history, two people with the same illness can receive very different weekly amounts. Check your own figure on the Department's Illness Benefit page rather than assuming the maximum.
You must have paid PRSI in an insurable class that covers Illness Benefit — for most employees that is Class A. You then need to satisfy both a lifetime condition and a recent-contributions condition:
Self-employed people paying Class S PRSI are not covered by Illness Benefit. This surprises a lot of contractors and sole traders, and it is worth knowing before you need it rather than after.
Illness Benefit is not indefinite. The maximum duration depends on your contribution record — a longer record buys a longer entitlement, up to a maximum of two years. Where illness continues beyond the Illness Benefit period, other payments such as Disability Allowance or Invalidity Pension may be relevant, and they have their own separate rules.
This is the part that trips people up. They are sequential, not simultaneous.
Days 1 to 5 (approximately): your statutory sick pay days, paid by your employer, assuming you have 13 weeks' service and a certificate.
From roughly day 6 onwards: statutory sick pay is exhausted, and Illness Benefit becomes the relevant payment if you qualify.
You generally cannot be paid Illness Benefit for a day that your employer is already covering with statutory sick pay. In practice, the Department's three waiting days sit inside your statutory sick pay period, so if your illness runs past your statutory days, the transition tends to be reasonably smooth — but the two do not stack.
If your employer's own occupational sick pay scheme continues to pay you, many employers require you to claim Illness Benefit and hand the payment over to them, or they pay you the difference. This is a normal and legitimate arrangement; check what your contract says.
A medical certificate from a registered medical practitioner. This is what most people call a sick cert or sick note. It states that you are unfit for work and for how long. It does not state your diagnosis — that stays between you and your doctor.
An Irish-registered GP can issue this after an online consultation as well as after an in-person one; our sick certificate page sets out what is and is not in scope. We cover the wider picture in our guide to getting a sick cert in Ireland.
A Certificate of Incapacity for Work. This is a different document from the certificate you give your employer, and it is submitted by a doctor directly to the Department, usually electronically. You do not post it yourself.
You then make the claim itself:
For statutory sick pay, yes — the entitlement is conditional on a certificate from a registered medical practitioner. Some employers accept self-certification for very short absences under their own policy, but that is their policy, not the statutory scheme.
Not through Class S PRSI. Self-employed people generally do not have cover for Illness Benefit. If you are self-employed and unable to work, look at the means-tested supports available through the Department of Social Protection instead, and talk to MABS or a Citizens Information centre about your options.
Yes. Illness Benefit is taxable, but no tax is deducted before you receive it. Revenue is notified of the payment and your tax credits are usually adjusted, which can produce an unexpected underpayment at year end if your circumstances change mid-year.
You would normally use one or two of your statutory sick days. Illness Benefit's three waiting days mean a two-day absence produces no Illness Benefit at all.
Yes — an Irish-registered GP can issue a certificate after an online consultation in the same way as after an in-person one, where it is clinically appropriate. The doctor has to be able to assess you properly. If your condition needs a physical examination, the honest answer is that you will be advised to be seen in person, and a responsible service will tell you so rather than issue a certificate anyway.
It depends entirely on your salary and your PRSI record. Statutory sick pay is 70% of your daily pay up to €110 a day, so a higher earner hits the cap quickly. Illness Benefit is a flat weekly rate band. For many people, statutory sick pay is worth more per day but runs out after five days, while Illness Benefit is worth less per week but lasts much longer.
Rates and thresholds in this article change with the annual Budget. Before making a financial decision, check:
If you are unwell and need to be assessed, you can book an online consultation with an Irish-registered GP. Consultations are from €35 during normal hours (Monday to Friday, 08:00–17:00) and from €50 outside those hours, including evenings, weekends and bank holidays. A private medical certificate for your employer, school or college is issued where clinically appropriate following the consultation. We do not issue the Department of Social Protection's Certificate of Incapacity for Work — that goes through your own GP and the Department's eCert system, as set out above.
This article is general information about how the Irish sick pay systems work. It is not legal, financial or medical advice. For advice on your own entitlements, contact Citizens Information, the Department of Social Protection or the Workplace Relations Commission.
This article was reviewed by Dr. Shahnawaz, a General Practitioner registered with the Irish Medical Council. The information provided is for educational purposes and does not replace personalised medical advice.
Editorial
The GetYourGP Editorial Team prepares informational health content for GetYourGP.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Shahnawaz on 3 August 2026
Sick Certs & LeaveHow to get a sick certificate in Ireland, online or in person: what it costs, what your employer can ask for, and how certification connects to statutory sick pay and Illness Benefit.
Speak to an Irish-registered GP online, 7 days a week. Certificates are issued where clinically appropriate after your consultation. Consultations from €35.