James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 551: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the savings an old age pension couple can have without an adverse impact on their entitlements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22693/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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To qualify for a State Pension Non-Contributory, a person or couple must be habitually resident in the State and satisfy a means test. In determining means, the weekly income derived from occupational pensions, farming, and/or self employment by claimant and/or spouse or partner is assessed. Where a person/couple has savings and investments and any property (excluding a person's own home), the capital value from such items is assessed using a formula to calculate the weekly means as outlined in the following table.

Having assessed the weekly means, a disregard of €30 per week for a single person or €60 for a couple is then applied. For example, a couple with no income but with capital of up to €80,000 can qualify for a pension at the maximum rate.

With regard to State Pension Contributory, eligibility is determined on the basis of the person's contribution record.