Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 September 2023
642. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Social Protection what campaigns are being undertaken to inform people of their ability to purchase voluntary social insurance contributions to help maintain their social insurance record and help them to qualify for social insurance payments in the future. [40297/23]
View answerThe purpose of the voluntary contributions scheme is to provide persons who were but are no longer compulsorily insured under the social insurance system, either as an employee or as a self-employed person, with the opportunity to pay contributions directly to my Department. Voluntary contributions act to maintain a person’s established social insurance record in respect of eligibility for State pensions in the future.
The scheme’s entry criteria require applicants to have at least 520 social insurance contributions paid from either employment or self-employment. An application to become a voluntary contributor must be made within 60 months (5 years) from the end of the contribution year during which the applicant last paid a compulsory social insurance contribution or was last awarded a credited employment contribution.
My Department is not currently running a campaign on the voluntary contributions scheme but information relating to the scheme is widely available. For instance, detailed information relating to the scheme can be found on gov.ie as well as on the citizens information website. Persons seeking information relating to the scheme can also visit our network of Intreo centres around the country.
In addition, self-employed contributors who are not liable for a PRSI charge for a contribution year are provided with information on their Notices of Assessment from Revenue advising them to contact my Department to query their eligibility to become a voluntary contributor.
The Voluntary Contributions Section in my Department can be contacted as follows:
Department of Social Protection, Cork Road, Waterford, Co. Waterford, X91 EH04.
Email: volcons@welfare.ie
Phone: 0818 690 690
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
