Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 10 April 2024

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection

Impact of Means Testing on State Pension and Other Social Welfare Schemes: Discussion

Mr. Pat Mellon:

We have 50,000 direct members and up to 200,000 or 300,000 overall and we are getting calls to the office from people who are stressed and asking for help to access X or Y and what their rights are. If we look into it, we find ourselves snowed under. It seems to be totally illogical with GovID cards and everything else and Revenue. These things should be simplified. PPS numbers should show what people are entitled to. Mr. Moynihan mentioned housing, which will become an increasingly difficult thing. We had a crash, a period when people were locked out of the market and not able to buy. Now people who are 35 to 40 are getting mortgages that are 35 to 40 years long. They will be paying mortgages into their late 70s. That is a huge issue that will happen and the means test is coming on top of it. There does not seem to be any certainty about people's future.

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