Vol. 443 No. 7
108 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Defence if his attention has been drawn to the fact that Army pensioners, under present rules, lose increments from their weekly pension payments once they reach statutory retirement age at a time when their spending needs are typically at their highest; and if he will review these rules.
The Defence Forces pension schemes provide for the payment of a special increment of £3.51 a week in addition to the basic pension to a soldier for each year of pensionable service in excess of 21 years but not exceeding 31 years. As a general rule, this special increment ceases to be payable when the soldier pensioner becomes entitled to a social welfare retirement pension, at age 65, or to a contributory old age pension, at 66. The personal rate of either social welfare pension is considerably greater than the maximum special increment.
The discontinuance of the special increment is in accordance with the principle of co-ordinating occupational pensions in the public sector with social welfare pensions in the case of employees who are fully insured under the Social Welfare Acts. Soldiers are so insured.
This matter was examined by the Commission on Remuneration and Conditions of Service in the Defence Forces. The commission did not recommend any change in the present arrangements.
