The widow's and widower's pension scheme recognises the financial difficulties that may arise for people who are bereaved by the death of their spouse. A widow-widower may use their own or spouse's PRSI record to qualify for a widow's or widower's pension. The present qualification criteria are considered to be fair and equitable.
A widow or widower who, for instance, may be waiting for his or her pension application to be processed, or who is experiencing difficulty as a result of the household income falling below the appropriate rate for supplementary welfare allowance for the family size should contact the community welfare officer at the local health centre. If the Deputy has a particular case in mind he may wish to give me the details so that it can be investigated to ensure that the person is in receipt of their full entitlements.