3.3.2012

Official Journal of the European Union

C 65/8

(Case C-680/11)

2012/C 65/15

Language of the case: English

Referring court

Parties to the main proceedings

Applicant: Anita Chieza

Defendant: Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

Question referred

1.Is the differential treatment on the basis of gender under the incapacity benefit scheme necessarily and objectively linked to the difference in pensionable age so that it falls within the scope of the derogation under Article 7(l)(a) of Directive 79/7 in circumstances where a claimant:

(a)is a woman;

(b)falls ill before reaching pensionable age (for a woman, 60);

(c)receives statutory sick pay (SSP) from her employer for 28 weeks, taking her past pensionable age;

(d)after reaching pensionable age, makes a claim for short-term incapacity benefit;

(e)meets the contributions requirements for entitlement to short-term incapacity benefit;

(f)is denied short-term incapacity benefit because as a matter of law her ‘period of incapacity for work’ began after she reached pensionable age (because legislation provides that a period of entitlement to SSP does not count as a period of incapacity for work),

but where a male claimant who falls ill shortly before the age of 60, receives SSP from his employer for 28 weeks, and makes a claim for short-term incapacity benefit at the age of 60, will in principle qualify for short-term incapacity benefit, as his period of incapacity for work began before he attained pensionable age, albeit after reaching 60?

Council Directive 79/7/EEC of 19 December 1978 on the progressive implementation of the principle of equal treatment for men and women in matters of social security

OJ L 6, p. 24

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