Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 387: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he will ease the qualification guidelines in respect of insurance contributions for persons who might otherwise qualify for invalidity pension but do not have the required contributions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32556/07]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Invalidity Pension is a payment for persons who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and who satisfy certain medical and social insurance conditions, namely: have been incapable of work for at least 12 months and be likely to be incapable of work for at least another 12 months, or

be permanently incapable of work (in certain cases of very serious incapacity, a person can transfer directly from another social welfare payment or from employment to the Invalidity Pension), or

be over age 60 and have a serious illness or incapacity, and

have a total of 260 paid PRSI contributions (or 520 PRSI contributions from 6 April, 2012 onwards), and

have 48 paid or credited PRSI contributions in the last complete tax year before the claim is made.

Only PRSI paid at Classes A, E and H count towards the Invalidity Pension.

The qualification conditions that govern entitlement to and receipt of the Invalidity Pension are set down in Chapter 17, Sections 118 to 122, of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 2005, and no plans are being considered at present to alter them.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 388: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he will review the guidelines for qualification for contribution based payments with a view to taking J1 contributions into account; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32557/07]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

With very few exceptions, a person aged 16 years or over who is either a part-time employee, a full-time employee or a self-employed individual with a minimum annual income must pay Pay-Related Social Insurance (PRSI) contributions.

In general, PRSI contribution classes are decided by the nature of the employment and the amount of the employee's reckonable earnings in any week. Employees who earn less than €38 per week (from all employments) or are aged 66 years or over, as well as certain people engaged in subsidiary employment, pay PRSI at Class J. These people are covered for Occupational Injuries Benefits only. There are no plans to extend the entitlements of people covered by Class J1 contributions.