Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This Government acknowledges the important role that family carers play and is fully committed to supporting them in that role. Accordingly, the State pension system gives significant recognition to those whose work history includes extended periods outside of paid employment, often to raise families or in a full-time caring role. Despite these measures, some long-term carers of incapacitated dependants faced barriers in accessing the State pension - contributory.

Based on a programme for Government commitment, the Pensions Commission was asked to consider how people who have provided long-term care for incapacitated dependants can be accommodated within the State pension system. The commission engaged in a public consultation process and had the benefit of presentations from Family Carer's Ireland and the National Women's Council in forming its recommendations on the proposals and the period of care. The commission recommended that long-term carers should be given access to the State pension - contributory - and defined long-term caring as caring for more than 20 years.

I was very pleased to implement this important recommendation and, since January 2024, long-term carer's contributions can be awarded to a person who has cared for an incapacitated person for a period of 20 years or more. These contributions will be treated the same as paid contributions for State pension - contributory - entitlement only and can be used to fill any gaps in a person's contribution record, including satisfying the minimum 520 contributions required for eligibility.

Where a person has less than 20 years caring, they may be entitled to avail of up to 20 years home-caring periods or homemaker's scheme, subject to existing qualification conditions of having 520 paid contributions. These measures combined strike the right balance between ensuring that all carers can access the State pension system, while ensuring that the system remains sustainable.

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