asked the Minister for Finance whether he is aware that a woman over 70 years of age, the wife of a wage earner, is precluded from receiving an old age pension if her husband is presumed to earn wages in excess of 30/- per week; whether he is further aware that the owner of substantial property, who on attaining the age of 70 years nominally divests himself of such property immediately becomes entitled to receive an old age pension even if the greater part of the revenue derived from his former property, and irrespective of its amount, indirectly reverts to him, and whether, having regard to the inequalities of this arrangement and the hardships inflicted on wage earners and their dependants under the existing legislation, he is prepared to introduce proposals for legislation to remove the inequalities complained of.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Alleged Inequalities under Old Age Pension Act.
The means of a person who is one of a married couple living together is taken to be one-half of the total means of the couple. Where the husband's means are 30/- a week (£78 per annum) the pension of the wife is 1/- a week, and where the husband's means exceed £78 10s. per annum the wife is precluded from receiving any pension.
If a person has directly or indirectly deprived himself of any property in order to qualify for the receipt of an old age pension, or for the receipt of a pension at a higher rate than that to which he would otherwise be entitled, the yearly value of the property so transferred is required by law to be taken as part of his means for pension purposes. The existing scale of rates of pension is considered sufficient, and in the conditions under which old age pensions are granted it is not clear how the inequalities to which the Deputy refers could arise.
Arising out of the Minister's reply, is it not true that, if the transfer referred to in his answer takes place in pursuance of a family settlement, the transferred property will not be taken into consideration for pension purposes?
That depends on whether or not it has been transferred for the purpose of getting a pension.