asked the Minister for Social Welfare whether (a) a voluntary contributor for contributory widow's pension may pay voluntary contributions at a higher rate in order to qualify for contributory old age pension, and (b) a person who has not opted to pay voluntary contributions for a contributory widow's pension may contribute to qualify for contributory old age pension; if he will state the relevant statutory or other authorities governing the matters; if he will have steps taken to enable a person who voluntarily contributes for a widow's pension to contribute at a higher rate for an old age pension if he is not now so entitled; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Contributory Old Age Pension.
40.
The answer to both (a) and (b) of the question is no.
The statutory provisions governing voluntary contributions are sections 4, 6 and 37 of the Social Welfare Act, 1952, and sections 3, 11 and 17 of the Social Welfare (Amendment) Act, 1960. These provisions are designed to enable persons who cease to be insured compulsorily under the Social Welfare Acts to preserve, if they wish, such title to pension as they may already have acquired by having not less than 156 contributions paid while compulsorily insured. Thus a person compulsorily insured for widows' pensions purposes may, on ceasing to be so insured, only pay voluntary contributions for that pension and a person whose compulsory insurance covered, inter alia, widows' pensions and old age contributory pensions may only pay voluntary contributions for those pensions.
Voluntary insurance under the Acts is not designed to enable a person to establish title to any pension for which he was not already covered when compulsorily insured. In the context of the present Social Insurance Scheme I consider this position to be reasonable.
Would it not benefit the contributory old age pension fund if people were permitted voluntarily to subscribe to it? That being so, would the Minister not facilitate those people who want to contribute to it?
That is a very big question and one which, in the context of a wider scheme, is under examination at the present time. As the existing system of contributions applies it would not be fair to permit a person to contribute to a scheme of which he had not compulsorily the benefit. Usually, it applies only to State employees—civil servants, local government employees, persons already covered by other pension schemes.