asked the Minister for Social Welfare why widows of insured contributors are for the purposes of widows' pensions denied the benefit of credit for 103 contributions for the period 7th January, 1957, to 28th December, 1958, which credits are normally allowed to other persons who re-entered insurance on 29th December, 1958; and if such credits were allowed on previous occasions for the purposes of entitlement to widows' pensions and contributory old age pensions.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Widows' Pensions.
38.
The Social Welfare (Amendment) Act, 1958, increased the salary limit for compulsory insurance under the Social Insurance Scheme in the case of non-manual workers from £600 to £800 a year as from 29th December, 1958. Men who had ceased previously to be employed contributors because their yearly remuneration exceeded £600 and who by virtue of the Act again became compulsorily insurable on 29th December, 1958, were credited with employment contributions in respect of the period from 7th January, 1957, to 28th December, 1958.
These credited contributions are reckonable for the purpose of satisfying the statutory contribution condition for widows' (contributory) pension or old age (contributory) pension which requires a certain yearly average of contributions to have been paid or credited in respect of the insured contributor. They do not, however, count towards satisfying the statutory contribution condition which for both of these pensions requires that 156 contributions must have been paid in respect of such contributor.