Cathal Crowe
Question:878. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Social Protection the options available for a person (details supplied) who has been told they do not have enough stamps for a contributory pension. [32864/20]
View answerTuesday, 3 November 2020
Questions (878)
Written answers
The person concerned reached pension age on 24 April 2012. They applied for State pension (contributory) on 10 November 2011. For persons who reach pension age on or after 6 April 2012, social welfare legislation stipulates that a minimum of 520 full-rate paid contributions are required to qualify for State pension (contributory). Credits cannot be used to satisfy this condition. 520 full-rate contributions equate to 10 years of full-rate insurable employment.
The person’s social insurance record has been fully investigated. According to the records of my Department, they have 458 paid full-rate social insurance contributions. Their self-employment contributions were paid after the person reached 66 and therefore under social welfare legislation are not reckonable for pension purposes. A Social Welfare Inspector did not find proof of employment in 1963 to recommend the award of contributions for any part of that year. Since the person’s contributions fall short of the required 520 paid full-rate contributions to qualify for State pension (contributory), their claim was disallowed.
According to the records of my Department, the person concerned was in receipt of Carer's Allowance from 1 November 1990 to 29 July 2002. Under social welfare legislation, credits shall not be awarded where there is a two-year gap between these credits and the person’s last paid full-rate contribution. Since the person concerned does not have a record of paid contributions from insurable employment prior to 1990, there is no entitlement to credits.
Where credits are reckonable, they can only be included in calculation of a person’s pension entitlement once the minimum requirement of 520 full-rate paid contributions is satisfied. If the person concerned considers they have additional contributions from employment that have not been recorded, it is open to them to forward documentary evidence of the missing periods of employment to my Department and their pension entitlement will be reviewed.
The person concerned may wish to consider applying for the State pension (non-contributory). This is a means-tested, residency-based payment for people of pension age. Social welfare legislation provides that the means test takes account of the income and assets of the applicant (and spouse/civil partner/cohabitant as applicable). Income and assets include income from employment, self-employment, occupational pensions, maintenance payments as well as property owned (other than the family home) and capital such as savings, shares and other investments.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.