Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 15 February 2018
291. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason a person (details supplied) is only in receipt of a €202 contributory State pension in view of the fact they have made social insurance contributions since 1964-65; if their situation can be reviewed in the context of new proposals to deal with contributory State pension recipients; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7926/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person concerned is in receipt of state pension (contributory) with effect from their 66th birthday. According to the records of my Department, the person concerned has a social insurance record of 982 reckonable paid and credited contributions. They are in receipt of a reduced state pension (contributory) based on a yearly average of 20 contributions, covering the period from October 1964 to end-December 2013 inclusive.
The person has no recorded reckonable contributions for the tax years 1968/69 and 1970/71 to 1997/98 inclusive; this affects their overall yearly average and consequently, their rate of weekly pension entitlement. If the person concerned considers they have additional contributions or credits that have not been recorded, it is open to them to forward documentary evidence of the missing periods of employment to my Department and their pension entitlement will be reviewed.
The Deputy will also be aware that the Government recently announced proposals that pensioners who qualified for state pension (contributory) since September 2012, and whose rate of entitlement was impacted by the 2012 rate band changes, may apply for a review to have their entitlement considered under a new Total Contribution Approach (TCA). It will take some time to draft and pass the necessary legislation, and then develop the systems and procedures necessary to administer the new pension entitlement option. Accordingly, it is not necessary for any person to contact the Department about their situation. Instead, the Department expects to start issuing invitations to these pensioners from late 2018 to apply for a review under the new pension eligibility arrangements, and to notify any periods spent caring for which Home Caring credits may be due. Review applicants will be notified of the outcome of their review and any applicable higher rate of entitlement will be paid to them. Such payments are expected to commence from early 2019. Where an increase is awarded, it will be backdated to 30 March 2018.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
