Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 13 January 2016
65. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection why a person (details supplied) was informed that a person would receive arrears of €1,000 and then of €2,700, and was then informed that no arrears were due; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46594/15]
View answerThe person concerned submitted an application for state pension (transition) in May 2008. The pension was awarded with effect from 1 March 2008. The decision notification which issued on 22 July 2008, outlined that pension arrears (if due to be paid), would issue shortly thereafter. Social Welfare legislation requires that, in the first instance, due state pension arrears must be reconciled against any overlapping scheme payments the applicant may have received over the same period. In this case, the due pension arrears were offset against the total jobseeker’s benefit paid to the person and the increase for qualified adult paid on their spouse’s state pension (contributory) during the relevant period.
The available pension arrears did not fully cover the amount due to be recovered by the Department for the aforementioned payments and accordingly no balance of pension arrears remained due to the person concerned. It is regretted that the person concerned was incorrectly informed that pension arrears were due, and the Department apologises for this error.
