Brian O'Shea
Ceist:141 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the proposals, if any, he has to pay the full rate of old age pension to both spouses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27124/98]
Written Answers - Pension Provisions.
The old age contributory and retirement pensions are based on a person's own social insurance record and payment is related to the average number of contributions over a given period. A qualified adult allowance is paid where a dependent partner resides with the pensioner and is wholly or mainly supported by him/her.
In the case of the means tested old age non-contributory pension, the allowance for a qualified adult is graduated in line with the personal rate of pension in payment. Where the dependent spouse/partner is over 66, he/she may qualify for this pension in his/her own right, assuming that the means test is satisfied.
In this context, the report of the Pensions Board, ‘Securing Retirement Income', on the national pensions policy initiative recommended that available resources should be used, first, to increase the basic social welfare pension and, second, to maintain, at its current level at least, the relationship between the qualified adult allowance and the personal rate of pension. This is based on the Commission on Social Welfare's — CSW — recommendation that the rates of payment for qualified adults should be set at 60 per cent of the basic payment for a single person.
The interdepartmental working group, which is currently examining the treatment of one and two parent families under the tax and social welfare codes, is looking at the concept of "qualified adult" in the social welfare payment system, with particular reference to individualisation of payments. One of the group's specific terms of reference is to carry out research on equivalence scales and I expect the group to report to me early in 1999.
The extension of social insurance to the self-employed — 1988 — , part-time workers — 1991 — and to new civil/public servants — 1995 — means that over time a greater proportion of people will qualify for a contributory old age pension in their own right.