Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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248. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will address a matter regarding the pension entitlements of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52245/17]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Entitlement to state pension (contributory) is assessed on the basis of an applicant’s full social insurance record and the eligibility conditions applicable on the date they reach pension age. According to the records of my Department, the person concerned has a social insurance record of 1,719 reckonable contributions and credits. A reduced state pension (contributory) was awarded based on an assessed yearly average of 36 contributions, covering the period from December 1968 to December 2016. The person concerned is in receipt of the correct rate of contributory pension based on this record. Any gaps in the person’s insurance record will impact on the person’s overall yearly average and, consequently, on their rate of weekly pension entitlement.

The homemaker’s scheme was introduced in 1994 to make qualification for state pension (contributory) easier for a claimant who has taken time out of the workforce for caring duties. The scheme allows up to 20 years (since 1994) spent caring for children under 12 years of age, or for an incapacitated person(s), to be disregarded when the claimant’s social insurance record is being assessed for pension purposes. The effect of this is to reduce the number of years by which the person’s contributions are divided, thereby increasing their yearly average, and making it easier for them to qualify for the most beneficial rate of state pension (contributory). As part of the pension eligibility assessment of the person concerned, a disregard of one year and an award of 24 additional credits in the person’s yearly average calculation resulted from home-making periods from 6 April 1994 to 19 September 1995.

If the person concerned considers they have additional contributions or credits that have not been recorded, it is open to them to forward documentary evidence of the missing periods of employment to my Department and their pension entitlement will be reviewed.

The changes made to rate bands in 2012 more closely reflect the social insurance contribution history of a person than those in place between 2000 and 2012. The current rate bands still provide pensions to people which are more proportionate with their level of contribution.

My Department is examining in depth whether the 2012 rate band changes have impacted disproportionately or unfairly on specific groups in relation to the contributions they have made for the pension they receive. If that is the case, measures to alleviate that impact on people who have reduced pension entitlements following the 2012 changes, would be considered.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.