Vol. 549 No. 1
139 Mr. Spring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development if, in view of the changes being made to the farm retirement scheme, he will also remove the means testing provision in relation to recipients of widow's and widower's pensions and invalidity and disability pensions. [6002/02]
The early retirement pension is not subject to a means test. However, it is a requirement of the EU Council regulations governing the schemes of early retirement that the early retirement pension may only be granted as a supplement to any national retirement pension that participants, or their spouse or partner in a joint management arrangement, may receive. This means the amount of any national retirement pension must be deducted from the early retirement pension.
The recent agreement obtained from the European Commission, which I welcome, was that widow's and widower's pensions should not be regarded as national retirement pensions until the recipient reached the normal retirement age of 66 years. Once these pensioners reach 66 years the amount of their early retirement pension must be reduced by the amount of widow's or widower's pensions that they receive. As regards invalidity pension, however, the Commission has taken the view that this is a national retirement pension whatever the age of the recipient. Disability benefit or allowances are not regarded as a national retirement pension for the purposes of the scheme.
