Seán Crowe
Ceist:150 Mr. Crowe asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if there have been discussions on establishing the right for women to a pension in their own right. [37649/06]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 14 November 2006
Ceisteanna (89)
Freagraí scríofa
The social welfare system comprises two types of payment, social insurance based schemes, which require those eligible to reach a certain standard in terms of the social insurance contributions paid or credited on their record, and non-contributory payments designed for those without the necessary social insurance record for contributory schemes who can satisfy a means test. Within that basic structure the Government is anxious to ensure that as many people as possible, particularly women, can qualify for a pension in their own right and a number of measures are in place to support this objective.
The social welfare pension rights of those who take time out of the workforce for caring duties are protected by the homemakers scheme which was introduced from 1994. The scheme allows up to 20 years spent caring for children or incapacitated adults to be disregarded when a person's social insurance record is being averaged for pension purposes. However, the scheme will not of itself qualify a person for a pension as the standard qualifying conditions must be satisfied in addition to any benefit which a person derives from the homemakers scheme.
In addition, changes have been made to the qualifying conditions for pension which make it easier for people to qualify for contributory pensions. These include the reduction in the yearly average number of contributions required for pension purposes from 20 to 10 and the introduction of special half rate pensions based on pre-53 insurance contributions. Pro-rata pensions are also available to allow people with mixed rate insurance records to receive a payment. This set of measures is of particular benefit to women who may have less than complete social insurance records due to working in the home. It is estimated that approximately 88% of women aged 65 years of age or over are at present receiving social welfare support, either in their own right or as qualified adults on the pension of their spouse or partner.
With regard to non-contributory pensions, the new enhanced standard state pension (non-contributory) for those over 66 years, which I introduced in September, combines a number of existing pension schemes such as blind pension and widow(er)s pension. It features significant improvements in the means test including increasing the means disregard from €7.60 per week to €20 which gives an additional €12.50 per week to each person and allows a single person, with no other means, to have up to €35,000 in capital and still qualify for a pension at maximum rate, and double this in the case of a pensioner couple. The changes in the means test will also allow some who are currently outside the social welfare pensions system to qualify for a payment.
The Government is committed to producing a Green Paper on pensions as part of the new social partnership agreement Towards 2016 with a view to developing a framework for future pensions policy. This will deal with pensions in general but it will include outstanding issues relating to social welfare pensions, including the position of those who are currently not receiving a social welfare pension. The Green Paper will be published at the end of March next year. A consultation process will then take place and the Government will publish a framework for future pensions policy around October 2007.