asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he is aware that workers who have been paying social insurance for up to 40 years are by reason of the inadequacy of the present upper limit now going to lose as much as £200 a year old age contributory pension on retirement; and that consequent on recent wage increases various grades of workers have income in excess of the social insurance ceiling figure; and if, having regard to the fact that voluntary contributions thereafter will entitle the contributor to only a section of the social welfare benefits, he will increase the insurable limit from £1,200 to £1,600.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Social Insurance Income Limit.
33.
The remuneration limit for compulsory insurance under the Social Welfare Acts applies only in the case of non-manual workers and there is no evidence that recent pay increases have brought any considerable number of such workers over that limit. The matter is, however, being kept under constant review in my Department.
Where a person ceases to be compulsorily insurable and has had the equivalent of three years insurance paid he may become a voluntary contributor. By doing so he can preserve his rights in relation to old age and widows' (contributory) pensions and consequently there can be no question of his losing any old age (contributory) pension on retirement.