Hardship Arrangements – Delays with Payment 

We are aware of numerous delays in payment for hardship claims, some going back over a long number of months. We advise all members who are experiencing delays with payments to write or email their local Health Office Manager seeking prompt payment under the Late Payments Regulations. 

These regulations stipulate that a large number of State bodies, including the HSE, are obliged to pay interest whenever they are late in paying an invoice. Members are reminded that Late Payments Regulations covers payments for all schemes. The Late Payments Regulations implies a credit period of 30 calendar days from receipt of an invoice (or other request for payment), where there is no written agreement regarding credit terms. With effect from 1 July 2022, the rate of interest is set at 0.022% per day, which is the equivalent of 8% per annum. Separately, it is a Government policy requirement that all public sector bodies (such as the HSE) must pay their suppliers within 15 calendar days of receipt of a valid invoice. 

Therefore, if you have submitted claims correctly to the HSE and these claims are not paid within 30 days, you are entitled to invoke the terms of the Late Payments Regulations 2012 in order to get paid in a timely manner. A template letter containing the details on the Late Payments Regulations is available on our website, along with the contact details of the relevant person to write to in your area and is available to assist you here.