Rate of benefit

(1) The weekly rate of sickness benefit shall be eighty percent of the average weekly insurable earnings for the first Social Security 63 time one hundred and fifty six days and sixty percent of the average weekly insurable earnings for the remaining seventy–eight days of incapacity to work and the daily rate of sickness benefit shall be one–seventh of the applicable weekly amount. (2) For the purposes of this Regulation, “average, weekly insurable earnings” means the sum of the weekly insurable earnings on the basis of which contributions were paid and credited during the period of thirteen contribution weeks immediately preceding the week in which the first day of incapacity occurred divided by such number of contributions. (3) Where a period of incapacity is the second or later period in a continuous period of incapacity for work, the rate of benefit in such second or later period shall be the daily rate of benefit paid or which would have been payable during the first period of such continuous period of incapacity for work.