To qualify for the old age contributory pension, a person must, inter alia, have entered insurance at least ten years before pension age. This condition has been a feature of the scheme since its introduction in 1961. The purpose of the condition is to link entitlement to a pension with a reasonable level of contributions to the social insurance fund during the course of a person's career. This condition applies to all insured people. Accordingly, self-employed people who became insured for the first time when social insurance was extended to the self-employed in 1988 and who were then aged 56 or over would not qualify for the old age contributory pension. They are, of course, covered for widow's, widower's and orphan's pensions.
However, self-employed people in that age group, who had been insured as employed contributors for any period prior to age 56, could qualify for the old age contributory pension as such insurance can be combined with insurance as a self-employed contributor for old age pension purposes. Refunds of the old age contributory pension element of the contribution may be made to those who entered insurance for the first time less than ten years before pension age and who fail to qualify for either an old age contributory or non-contributory pension.