Dinny McGinley
Ceist:34 Mr. McGinley asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the number of people who have been awarded the pre-1953 pension of £48. [5475/01]
Other Questions. - Pensions Provision.
John Browne
Ceist:50 Mr. Browne (Carlow-Kilkenny) asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the number of people who applied for the pre-1953 pension who had the required contributions and were refused. [5477/01]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 34 and 50 together.
Last year I introduced a special half-rate old age (contributory) pension, payable from 5 May 2000, for people who commenced insurable employment before 1953 and who had at least five years' paid insurance comprising either national health insurance or a combination of social insurance and national health insurance. The pension payable is £48 per week and amounts to 50 per cent of the maximum weekly personal rate. Increases for qualified adults and child dependants, where applicable, are also payable at 50 per cent.
Since its introduction, some 4,300 pre-1953 pensions have been awarded to people not previously receiving a pension from my Department. In addition, a further 8,022 pre-1953 pensions have been awarded to persons previously in receipt of a pro rata old age contributory or retirement pension at a personal weekly rate of less than £48. To date, this brings to 12,322, the total number of people who have benefited from the new pension. It was originally estimated that some 3,000 persons would qualify at a cost of £7 million. In effect over four times that number qualify for this innovative scheme introduced by the Government.
Cases arise where a person who has claimed the pre-1953 pension and satisfies the qualifying conditions is better off financially remaining on an existing pension or qualified adult allowance. Where this occurs, the person is advised of the position. To date, a total of 360 claims have been withdrawn for this reason.
(Carlow-Kilkenny): In this age of equality is it fair that women who have the qualifying number of contributions are told they will not get the pre-1953 pension simply because their husband paid contributions? I am aware the idea of two pensions is always used as an excuse. Why should women who have paid their contributions be penalised because their husbands paid contributions?
As far as I am concerned I will endeavour to change the system of contributions to assist those women who have taken time out of work to care in the home. That is an historical problem going back decades where such things discriminated against women. Over the last four budgets I have made substantial changes in this area to ensure more women qualify for pension on reaching pension age. This change which gave people entitlement for pre-1953 stamps was resisted by previous Ministers of every party. As a result of this change it was estimated last year that 3,000 persons would qualify. In fact, 12,300 persons already qualify. The largest proportion of those qualifying are female. A substantial number of people who have left our shores and live in England qualify for this special rate pension. As far as I am concerned it is one of the best initiatives brought forward by this Government on top of the many initiatives we have introduced since coming to office.