Written Answers Nos. 543-565
544. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of increasing the disability allowance by €5, €10 and €15 per week in 2023, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23017/22]
View answer554. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full year cost if the disability allowance increased by €5 per week. [23108/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 544 and 554 together.
The estimated full year cost of a €5, €10 and €15 increase to the Disability Allowance payment is as shown in the table below.
These costings are based on the estimated number of recipients in 2022 and are subject to change in the context of emerging trends and associated revision of the estimated numbers of recipients.
|
Proposed increase to rate of payment |
Additional Full Year Cost |
|
€5 |
€43 million |
|
€10 |
€87 million |
|
€15 |
€131 million |
545. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons in receipt of disability allowance in 2022, by county in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23019/22]
View answerDisability allowance (DA) is a weekly allowance for people aged between 16 and 66 with a disability which is expected to last for at least one year and who satisfy the medical condition, means test and are habitually resident in Ireland.
In April of 2022, there were 155,639 people in receipt of disability allowance, by county as follows:
|
County |
Number of people |
|
Carlow |
2,561 |
|
Cavan |
2,263 |
|
Clare |
3,673 |
|
Cork |
18,831 |
|
Donegal |
6,151 |
|
Dublin |
36,929 |
|
Galway |
8,537 |
|
Kerry |
5,802 |
|
Kildare |
5,823 |
|
Kilkenny |
2,941 |
|
Laois |
2,857 |
|
Leitrim |
1,182 |
|
Limerick |
8,250 |
|
Longford |
1,882 |
|
Louth |
4,573 |
|
Mayo |
4,466 |
|
Meath |
4,445 |
|
Monaghan |
1,721 |
|
Offaly |
3,091 |
|
Roscommon |
2,226 |
|
Sligo |
2,399 |
|
Tipperary |
6,751 |
|
Waterford |
4,469 |
|
Westmeath |
3,472 |
|
Wexford |
5,972 |
|
Wicklow |
4,372 |
|
Total |
155,639 |
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
546. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons in receipt of illness benefit in 2022, by county in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23020/22]
View answerDetails of the number of people who have received an Illness Benefit (including Enhanced Illness Benefit) payment, and the associated number of claims, in the year to date are shown in the table below:
|
County |
Claim Count |
Customer Count |
|
Carlow |
6,279 |
5,732 |
|
Cavan |
6,901 |
6,289 |
|
Clare |
8,439 |
7,783 |
|
Cork |
46,898 |
43,152 |
|
Donegal |
12,350 |
11,397 |
|
Dublin |
99,857 |
91,765 |
|
Galway |
25,882 |
23,434 |
|
Kerry |
12,008 |
11,080 |
|
Kildare |
19,282 |
17,680 |
|
Kilkenny |
6,696 |
6,196 |
|
Laois |
6,692 |
6,149 |
|
Leitrim |
2,504 |
2,301 |
|
Limerick |
18,999 |
17,335 |
|
Longford |
3,877 |
3,564 |
|
Louth |
13,590 |
12,444 |
|
Mayo |
12,076 |
11,074 |
|
Meath |
16,565 |
15,235 |
|
Monaghan |
5,241 |
4,830 |
|
Offaly |
6,760 |
6,189 |
|
Roscommon |
4,655 |
4,295 |
|
Sligo |
5,622 |
5,127 |
|
Tipperary |
14,450 |
13,158 |
|
Waterford |
11,985 |
10,873 |
|
Westmeath |
8,888 |
8,106 |
|
Wexford |
14,534 |
13,249 |
|
Wicklow |
10,936 |
10,079 |
|
Other* |
1,996 |
1,927 |
|
Total |
403,962 |
370,443 |
* 'Other' relate to instances where the applicants did not include a county on their application form.
I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
547. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection if the basic income for artists (details supplied) will affect those who are on a disability payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23024/22]
View answer549. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection if a pilot scheme will be put in place for disabled artists and arts workers (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23034/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 547 and 549 together.
The pilot basic income scheme for artists which the Government launched in April is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. It is expected that there will be 2,000 participants on the pilot scheme which will run for three years.
It is important to stress that a payment under the pilot Basic Income for Artists is not a social protection or income support payment. Rather it is a payment in recognition of the valuable contribution of the arts community and an incentive to encourage people to remain actively employed in the arts rather than seeking employment elsewhere.
Payments under the pilot scheme are income and will therefore be reckonable as income for the purposes of taxation. I understand that recipients will be required to make annual self-employment returns to the Office of the Revenue Commissioners on that basis.
Similarly, the Department of Social Protection will treat income from the scheme as income from self-employment for the purpose of its various means tests.
I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
548. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection if the new basic income scheme for artists will affect means tested social welfare payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23032/22]
View answerThe pilot basic income scheme for artists which the Government launched in April is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. It is expected that there will be 2,000 participants on the pilot scheme which will run for three years.
It is important to stress that a payment under the pilot Basic Income for Artists is not a social protection or income support payment. Rather it is a payment in recognition of the valuable contribution of the arts community and an incentive to encourage people to remain actively employed in the arts rather than seeking employment elsewhere.
Payments under the pilot scheme are income and will therefore be reckonable as income for the purposes of taxation. I understand that recipients will be required to make annual self-employment returns to the Office of the Revenue Commissioners on that basis.
Similarly, the Department of Social Protection will treat income from the scheme as income from self-employment for the purpose of its various means tests.
I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
550. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Social Protection the percentage of social media posts made on each of her Departmental social media accounts or the social media accounts of public bodies and agencies that operate under her remit that were exclusively in Irish between 1 May 2021 and 30 April 2022, inclusive; the percentage of same that feature bilingual translations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23056/22]
View answer551. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Social Protection the percentage of social media posts made on each of her Departmental social media accounts or the social media accounts of public bodies and agencies that operate under her remit that were exclusively in languages besides English or Irish between 1 May 2021 and 30 April 2022, inclusive; the percentage of same that featured languages besides English or Irish; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23074/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 550 and 551 together.
The details, as specified, of social media posts published on the social media accounts of the Department of Social Protection and the agencies under the aegis of the Department between 1 May 2021 and 30 April 2022 follow.
TWITTER: There were 3,599 tweets published on the Department’s Twitter account, of which 10 or 0.27% were published exclusively in Irish. There were 96 tweets published exclusively in a language other than English or Irish, which equals approximately 2.6%. No tweets were published bilingually in Irish and English.
There were 2,257 tweets published on the Citizen’s Information Twitter and Facebook accounts during this period, of which five or 0.22% were exclusively in Irish. No tweets were published bilingually in Irish and English or in another language.
INSTAGRAM: There were 283 posts published on the Department's Instagram account; 3 posts or 1.06% were published bilingually in Irish and English. None were published exclusively in Irish. One post was published exclusively in a language other than English or Irish, which equals approximately 0.35%. Six posts were published bilingually in another language and English, which is approximately 2.1%.
LINKEDIN: There were 275 posts published on the Department's LinkedIn account and one of these or 0.36% was published bilingually in Irish and English. None were posted exclusively in Irish. One post was published exclusively in a language other than English or Irish, which is approximately 0.4% while 6 posts were published bilingually in another language and English, which is approximately 2.2%.
The Pensions Authority has a LinkedIn account and none of its posts were published in Irish or another language during this time.
Where a person seeks to communicate with the Department in Irish, including through our social media platforms, the Department will do so.
552. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Social Protection the percentage of social media videos posted on each of her Departmental social media accounts or the social media accounts of public bodies and agencies that operate under her remit included closed captioning and or subtitling between 1 May 2021 and 30 April 2022, inclusive; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23092/22]
View answerBetween 01 May 2021 and 30 April 2022, 100% of the videos posted on the Department's social media accounts included subtitles.
During the same period, 100% of videos posted on the social media accounts of Citizen's Information Board, MABS and Abhaile included subtitles.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
553. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if a decision has been made on an application for carers benefit by a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23098/22]
View answerCarer's benefit (CARB) is a payment made to insured people who leave the workforce or reduce their working hours to care for a child or an adult in need of full-time care and attention. An increased payment can be made where full-time care is being provided to two people.
To qualify, the carer must satisfy PRSI conditions, employment conditions, show that they are providing full-time care and attention and must show that the care recipient requires full-time care and attention.
Before a decision can be made on entitlement to Carer’s Benefit (CARB), evidence must be provided in respect of the care recipient’s care requirement, the level of care the carer provides, the carer’s hours of employment and their PRSI record.
An application for CARB was received for the person concerned on the 27 April 2022.
Additional information in relation to the person’s application has been requested by a deciding officer.
Once the information is received the application will be processed without delay and the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
555. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an appeal by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23126/22]
View answerI am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all the evidence, disallowed the appeal of the person concerned by way of summary decision on 28 January 2022.
Under social welfare legislation the decision of an Appeals Officer is final and conclusive and may only be reviewed by an Appeals Officer in the light of new evidence or new facts. I am advised that the person concerned subsequently submitted additional medical evidence to the Department.
I can confirm that the legislative position under Section 317 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 is that where an Appeals Officer has disallowed an appeal and new facts or evidence are provided this decision can only be reviewed and potentially revised by an Appeals Officer.
The Appeals Officer has agreed to review the appeal of the person concerned on foot of this additional evidence and a decision will issue in the very near future.
The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
556. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide details of contracts awarded in 2022 by her Department or bodies under her aegis outside the standard procurement process in order to assist the arrival of refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23202/22]
View answerNo contracts were awarded outside the standard procurement process either by my Department or by the statutory bodies under its aegis to assist with the arrival of displaced Ukrainians.
The Deputy will be aware that the European Union has put in place a Temporary Protection Directive to allow Ukrainian citizens and others fleeing Ukraine to move through the EU as EU citizens. My Department is assisting in providing income supports to those covered by this Directive. As part of this, my Department utilised existing translation and interpretation contracts to support the provision of services to refugees from Ukraine.
557. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection if her Department employ persons or firms to deal with public relations; if so, the number of persons employed by her Department to deal with public relations; the names of firms involved; and the total amount spent on public relations by her Department. [23231/22]
View answerThe Department of Social Protection does not employ persons or firms to deal with public relations.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
558. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if client identity services will purge the two PPS numbers held by a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23260/22]
View answerI can confirm that the Personal Public Service Number (PPSN) ending in “W” that had been held by the person referred to by the Deputy has been purged by my Department.
A letter issued on 6th May advising her of her correct PPSN as referred to by the Deputy.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
559. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Social Protection if the case of a person (details supplied) will be reviewed. [23310/22]
View answerThe Jobseeker’s Benefit (JB) scheme provides a statutory income support payment to individuals who have lost work and are unable to obtain full time employment. To be eligible for the payment, a person must satisfy all of the qualifying conditions which includes that they must be available for and genuinely seeking full time employment. In general, the level of commitment required to participate in a full-time course of education is not consistent with the Jobseeker’s schemes requirement to be available for full-time employment and genuinely seeking such work.
The person concerned applied for JB with effect from 10/06/2021. Her application was awarded, and she received JB up to 09/03/2022 when her entitlement to the payment expired.
My Department was subsequently provided with a letter from the Dundalk Institute of Technology, dated 13/04/2022 confirming that the person concerned was engaged in a full-time Higher Diploma Data Analytics Programme. The programme commenced on 27/09/2021 and is due to finish at the end of August 2022.
On the basis of this information the Deciding Officer revised their decision and deemed the person concerned did not meet the qualifying criteria to receive a JB payment during the period 27/09/2021 to 09/03/2022 as she was engaged in full-time education. A revised decision letter dated 28/03/2022 issued to the person concerned advising her of the decision and of the overpayment that had been incurred. The person concerned was afforded the opportunity to seek a review of the decision and/or appeal to the Social Welfare Appeal Office (SWAO) which functions independently of my Department.
A request for a review of the decision has been received from the Citizens Information Centre in Finglas on behalf of the person concerned. My officials are undertaking a review of the case and when the process has been completed the person concerned will be advised of the outcome in writing.
The person concerned also subsequently gave notice of appeal to the independent SWAO. The person will be advised of the outcome of her appeal on completion of the Appeals Officer’s deliberations, should the local review uphold the initial decision to disallow her claim.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
560. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of community welfare officers in each county in tabular form; if she has plans to expand these numbers given the importance of ease of access to a CWO; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23321/22]
View answerAs part of my continued commitment to improve the CWS across the country, customers no longer have to meet in person with a CWO in order to make a claim. This change means that those who require community welfare assistance urgently no longer need to wait to visit a clinic if they do not wish to. These initiatives that I have put in place will ensure that the service is easily accessible and responsive to customer needs, particularly in a time of crisis or emergency.
The CWS remains a flexible service to meet the varied needs of vulnerable customers. For this reason, consultations can be arranged via phone, at our offices, or indeed can be a direct home visit depending on the customer’s need. This ensures that CWOs can work across counties and it is important that the table provided below which outlines staffing by county is read in this light.
It is vital that the CWS is easily accessible and responsive to customer needs and developing and enhancing access to the service remains my priority. Activity within the Community Welfare Service (CWS) is closely monitored at all times and resources are deployed as necessary.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
The number of CWOs by county is set out beneath.
|
County |
No. of CWOs by county |
No. of CWOs by county (full-time equivalent) |
|
Carlow |
4 |
4 |
|
Cavan |
3 |
2.8 |
|
Clare |
8 |
7.7 |
|
Cork |
42 |
38.9 |
|
Donegal |
19 |
18.5 |
|
Dublin |
86 |
81.53 |
|
Galway |
17 |
15.9 |
|
Kerry |
18 |
15.13 |
|
Kildare |
8 |
7.8 |
|
Kilkenny |
5 |
4.3 |
|
Laois |
5 |
4.73 |
|
Leitrim |
3 |
3 |
|
Limerick |
19 |
18.6 |
|
Longford |
4 |
4 |
|
Louth |
10 |
9.4 |
|
Mayo |
12 |
10.8 |
|
Meath |
4 |
4 |
|
Monaghan |
3 |
2.8 |
|
Offaly |
5 |
4.6 |
|
Roscommon |
4 |
4 |
|
Sligo |
4 |
4 |
|
Tipperary |
14 |
13.3 |
|
Waterford |
10 |
10 |
|
Westmeath |
7 |
6.8 |
|
Wexford |
8 |
8 |
|
Wicklow |
7 |
6.7 |
|
Total |
329 |
311.29 |
561. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications for the domiciliary care allowance in each of the years 2019 to 2021; the percentage of these applications that were successful on the first application in each year; the percentage of unsuccessful applications that were appealed; the percentage of these applications that were successful in their appeal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23322/22]
View answerDomiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is payable in respect of children with a severe disability who require care and attention substantially in excess of that required by children of a similar age without such a disability, providing this additional care is likely to last for at least 12 months.
In 2019 there were 6,383 awarded claims and 1,203 disallowed claims. Outcomes from decided appeals are shown in the table below.
|
Jan - Dec 2019 |
Appeals |
|
|
Allowed |
811 |
71.0% |
|
Partially Allowed |
10 |
0.9% |
|
Disallowed |
321 |
28.1% |
|
Total |
1,142 |
In 2020 there were 5,389 awarded claims and 1,045 disallowed claims. Outcomes from decided appeals are shown in the table below.
|
2020 |
Appeals |
|
|
Jan-Dec 2020 |
||
|
Allowed |
912 |
62.9% |
|
Partially Allowed |
51 |
3.5% |
|
Disallowed |
488 |
33.6% |
|
Total |
1,451 |
In 2021 there were 5,816 awarded claims and 1,820 disallowed claims. Outcomes from decided appeals are shown in the table below.
|
2021 |
Appeals |
|
|
Jan-Dec 2021 |
||
|
Allowed |
533 |
59.5% |
|
Partially Allowed |
25 |
2.8% |
|
Disallowed |
338 |
37.7% |
|
Total |
896 |
The number of DCA applications continues to increase. Applicants are encouraged to provide as much detail as possible at application stage to ensure all information is available to the deciding officer before the initial decision is made.
I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
562. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Social Protection if she supports the extension of the parental leave allowance to the parents of foster children in order to assist the parents and the children and to encourage more persons to come forward to act as foster parents. [23323/22]
View answerMy colleague, the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, has responsibility for Parent’s Leave. My Department has responsibility for payment of the associated benefit.
Parent's Leave and Benefit is currently available to all eligible parents of children born or adopted from 1 November 2019 for five weeks and must be used within the first two years of the child’s life or adoption. Under the Parent’s Leave and Benefit Act 2019 in order to be eligible for Parent’s Benefit an applicant must be a relevant Parent as outlined in Section 2 (1) of the Act. Foster carers do not come within this definition.
The provision of fostering services is a matter for Tusla. This includes the provision of supports, such as financial supports, that are required by either the foster carers or the foster child. Tusla provides a Foster Care Allowance in respect of each child in foster care. The payment is made to provide for the needs of the child. The weekly Foster Care Allowance is currently €325 per child under 12, and €352 for children aged 12 and over. Foster care allowances from Tusla are not taken into account in the means test for social welfare payments and are not taxable.
The consideration of any additional supports for foster carers is a matter for Tusla and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
563. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection if she has considered providing flexibility in relation to means testing thresholds for carer’s Allowance or for providing additional financial supports for carers of children with profound or long-term disabilities given that there are many cases of parents requiring life-long supports to provide care for their children in these circumstances regardless of income; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23327/22]
View answerMy Department provides a range of income supports for full-time carers including Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the Carer’s Support Grant. Combined spending on all these payments to carers in 2022 is estimated to exceed €1.5 billion.
Carer's Allowance acts as an income support for those who cannot earn adequate income in the open labour market due to their caring responsibilities. This allowance is part of the system of social assistance supports that provide payments based on an income need. The means test plays a critical role in determining whether or not an income need arises as a consequence of a particular contingency – such as disability, unemployment or caring. This ensures that the recipient has a verifiable income need and that resources are targeted to those who need them most.
While the caring requirements of carees may be different, this does not affect the rates of the allowance, which is intended to provide an income support for the carer and does not depend on individual care requirements.
The Deputy will be aware that payments made by my Department are set out in legislation. There is no provision to provide flexibility in relation to means testing thresholds for Carer’s Allowance as outlined by the Deputy.
The current income disregard and means test for Carer’s Allowance is the most generous within the social welfare system. The amount of weekly earnings disregarded is €332.50 for a single person and €665 for a couple. From June the weekly income disregard for Carer’s Allowance will increase to €350 a week for single carers and to €750 for carers with a spouse/partner.
In acknowledgement of the crucial role that family carers play in our society I introduced a number of measures as part of Budget 2022 in relation to supports provided by my Department. These include the following changes to the carer means test which will take effect in June:
- An increase in the weekly income disregard for Carer’s Allowance to €350 a week for single carers and to €750 for carers with a spouse/partner,
- An increase in the Capital/Savings disregard for Carer’s Allowance from €20,000 to €50,000.
A more generous means assessment for Carer’s Allowance has been called for over successive Budgets by organisations representing carers. An increase in the general weekly income disregard will enable more carers with modest incomes to become eligible for Carer’s Allowance, and therefore provide an income support to carers, whose earning capacity is significantly constrained as a consequence of their caring responsibilities.
Increasing the capital disregard will allow carers who have accumulated relatively modest savings, often to provide sufficient moneys to care for a loved one, to retain these savings without it impacting upon their carer’s payment. It also brings the capital formula applied to savings in the means assessment for Carer’s Allowance in line with Disability Allowance.
My Department already provides a non means-tested payment specifically for carers of incapacitated children in the form of the Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA). This is a monthly payment for a child aged under 16 with a severe disability, who requires ongoing care and attention, substantially over and above the care and attention usually required by a child of the same age. The payment is not based on the type of disability but on the resulting physical or mental impairment which means that the child requires substantially more care and attention than another child of the same age. Since 1 June 2017, all children getting DCA are eligible for a medical card without a means test.
In addition, the annual Carer’s Support Grant is available to all family carers providing full time care and assistance regardless of means. As part of Budget 2021, I increased the Grant from its then current rate of €1,700 to €1,850, effective from June 2021. The estimated expenditure on the Carer’s Support Grant this year is €262.4 million.
I can assure the Deputy that I am keenly aware of the key role that family carers play in Irish society and the challenges they face. I will continue to keep the range of income supports provided to family carers under review. However, any improvements or additions to the current supports provided by my Department – such as introducing further changes to the means testing of Carer’s Allowance or additional payment supports - would have implications for overall spending and could only be addressed in an overall budgetary and policy context.
I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
564. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection the up-to-date position regarding a social welfare appeal for a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23333/22]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 18 February 2022. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought from the Department of Social Protection. Those papers were received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office on 5 April 2022. The case was referred on 13 April 2022 to an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if necessary hold an oral hearing.
The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
565. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if a person (details supplied) in County Kildare will qualify for a pension through their own contributions or through those of their spouse; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23335/22]
View answerThe spouse of the person concerned is receiving the maximum rate Increase for Qualified Adult allowance on their State Pension (contributory) since 15th February 2018. The rate of the increase is €227.00 which equates to just under 90% of the maximum personal rate payable for State Pension (contributory).
The person concerned reached pension age on 23 February 2016. No application has been received for State Pension (contributory). They applied for the means-tested State Pension (Non-Contributory) in 2017 and were informed that it was financially more beneficial to claim the increase for Qualified Adult on their spouses Unemployment Benefit.
Under current eligibility conditions, an individual must have 520 full-rate paid contributions in order to qualify for standard State pension (contributory). 520 full-rate contributions equate to 10 years of full-rate insurable employment. According to the records of my Department the person concerned has a total of 0 full-rate contributions. Since their contributions fall short of the requisite 520 paid full-rate contributions, they do not qualify for State pension (contributory).
If the person concerned considers they have 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 along with a State Pension (contributory) application form and their pension entitlement will be examined. It also open to them to re-apply for the State Pension (contributory).
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
