Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 431: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason the additional days pay which was allocated to State pensioners on 19 January 2007, to compensate for the fact that the pay day was one day later than usual, was set at the 2006 rather than the 2007 pension rate which had already been in operation for two weeks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6055/07]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

As part of improvements announced in the Budget measures for 2006, I introduced legislation (under the Social Welfare Law Reform and Pension Act 2006) whereby all persons in receipt of State Pension (Transition) who attain the age of 66 transfer automatically to the State Pension (Contributory). In these cases, a once-off payment of an additional days pension is being made in recognition of the changeover from a Thursday payday (for State Pension Transition) to a Friday payday (for State Pension Contributory) on reaching age 66.

This legislation was implemented in January 2007 in the case of customers being paid their pension by electronic fund transfer. Customers being paid their pension by means of payable order book will have the change implemented on the 30th March next. The rate at which the additional days pension is paid depends on the date the customer reached the age of 66, and the transfer to State Pension Contributory became effective. In those cases where the customer reached the age of 66 prior to the 1st January 2007 (when the 2007 Budget rates became effective), the additional day's payment is based on the pension rates which applied at that time, ie 2006 rates. In the case of customers reaching the age of 66 from 1st January 2007 (when the 2007 budget rates came into effect) onwards, the additional day is payable at the 2007 (post-Budget) rates.