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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 18 Feb 2003

Vol. 561 No. 4

Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.

Michael Ring

Ceist:

471 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will qualify for an old age contributory pension, on reaching 66 years of age later in 2003 based on the stamps this person has paid. [4263/03]

The person concerned will attain the age of 66 years on 9 September. At this stage my Department does not have sufficient information to provide a forecast of possible entitlement to old age contributory pension. An application form is being issued to the person concerned for completion. On receipt of the completed form his potential entitlement will be examined and he will be notified of the position.

Michael Ring

Ceist:

472 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason a person (details supplied) in County Mayo has been refused a retirement pension when this person believes that they have a sufficient amount of stamps and have been signing for social welfare for the past 30 years; and if this person will qualify for an old age contributory pension at the age of 66 years in January 2004. [4323/03]

The person concerned applied for retirement pension on 30 October 2002. He does not qualify for this pension as he fails to satisfy the statutory condition requiring him to have at least 260 full rate contributions paid since first entering insurance. According to my Department's records he has a total of 226 full rate contributions paid since he entered insurance in 1955. This condition also needs to be satisfied to qualify for old age contributory pension at age 66.

In addition to not having the required minimum number of paid contributions, the person concerned also fails to satisfy the qualifying condition requiring him to have a yearly average of at least 24 contributions paid or credited over the period from January 1955 to December 2002. According to my Department's records he has a yearly average of 11 over this period. The person concerned was notified of the decision on his retirement pension claim on 28 January 2003.

As the person concerned was also insurably employed in England details of his UK insurance record have been requested from the UK social security authorities. On receipt of this information his entitlement to an EU pro rata retirement pension will be examined and he will be notified of the position.

Under social welfare legislation decisions in relation to claims are made by deciding officers and appeals officers. These officers are statutorily appointed and I have no role in regard to making such decisions.

John Bruton

Ceist:

473 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if she will alleviate the dis crimination regarding senior citizens and their entitlement to an additional increment when they reach 80 years of age on their contributory old age pension, whereby a joint pensioner receives only a single increment rather than a double increment when both reach the age of 80 or above, but if the pension book is held individually, that both on the age of reaching 80 are guaranteed an additional payment; if this position will be amended; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4342/03]

The over 80 allowance is an additional payment of €6.40 per week, payable at age 80, to recipients of social welfare pensions. The allowance is payable as an increase to the personal rate of pension. In order to be entitled to it a person must have an underlying entitlement to a personal rate of pension in their own right.

Any proposals to change the current arrangements for payment of the allowance would have expenditure implications which could only be considered in a budgetary context.

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