Vol. 549 No. 4
219 Mr. Broughan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the latest regulations regarding eligibility for citizens with pre-1953 stamps; and if further credits can be obtained to enable these citizens to obtain a larger portion of the contributory pension. [7018/02]
In 2000 I introduced a special old age contributory pension for people who commenced insurable employment before 1953 and who had paid insurance comprising either national health insurance or a combination of social insurance and national health insurance but who, under previous arrangements, would not have been entitled to pension. This initiative has been an unprecedented success. Since its introduction some 23,500 claims have been received to date. More than 10,000 people have qualified for pension under this scheme for the first time. In addition, another 8,500 people who had been in receipt of pro rata old age contributory or retire ment pensions have qualified for higher pensions under the scheme.
Applications continue to be received and processed and the numbers benefiting will, therefore, continue to grow for some time. To qualify for this special pension, a person must have paid contributions before 1953 and have a minimum of 260 full rate contributions paid in total. This can be made up solely of pre-1953 contributions or a mixture of contributions paid before and after 1953, provided at least one contribution was paid prior to 1953. In taking contributions paid by or in respect of an employed contributor under the National Health Insurance Acts, 1911 to 1952, into account for the purposes of qualifying for pre-1953 pension every two such contributions are reckoned as three contributions paid with any odd contribution being reckoned as two contributions paid. The rate of pension payable is 50% of the standard maximum personal rate of old age contributory pension, which is currently €147.40, £116.
Persons who have in excess of the minimum 260 contributions needed for the pre-1953 pension, could possibly qualify for a higher standard rate of old age contributory pension under the previous rules, based on their yearly average of contributions paid or credited since 1953. In this regard, as part of the decision process in all cases, applicants for the pre-1953 pension would have their entitlement to a higher standard rate of pension examined before determining the position relating to the pre-1953 pension. Where entitlement to the higher rate exists, this would be put into payment in favour of the pre-1953 pension. There are no other arrangements whereby claimants can qualify for a higher pension under the pre-1953 arrangements.
Under social welfare legislation, decisions in relation to claims are made by deciding officers and appeals officers. These officers are statutorily appointed and I have no role in regard to making such decisions.
