The social welfare pension rights of those who take time out of the workforce for caring duties are protected by the homemaker's scheme which was introduced in and took effect from 1994. The scheme allows up to 20 years spent caring for children or incapacitated adults to be disregarded when a person's social insurance record is being averaged for pension purposes. However, the scheme will not of itself qualify a person for a pension. The standard qualifying conditions, which require a person to enter insurance 10 years before pension age, pay a minimum of 260 contributions at the correct rate and achieve a yearly average of at least 10 contributions on their record from the time they enter insurance until they reach pension age, must also be satisfied.
For any year to be disregarded, a homemaker must be out of the workforce for a complete year (52 weeks). Provision is also made for the award of credited contributions in the year in which a person commences or ceases to be a homemaker.
The question of backdating the homemaker's scheme gives rise to difficult and complex issues, not least of which is the position of other groups excluded from social insurance cover over the years and who do not qualify for contributory pensions. In general, changes to insurability of employment are not backdated and the same principle was applied to the homemaker's scheme when it was introduced in 1994.
A Green Paper on pensions is currently being prepared and will deal with the full range of issues and challenges associated with the pensions system including the issues relating to backdating the homemaker's scheme. Following the publication of the Green Paper there will be a consultation process leading to the development of a long-term policy framework on pensions.