Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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490. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a backdated allocation can be awarded to a person (details supplied). [44051/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The person concerned applied for a widow's contributory pension in March 2016. Having examined her application, it was decided that she qualified for a widows contributory pension at the weekly maximum rate of €193.50 from the 8th April 2016.

However, the person concerned was already in receipt of an invalidity pension from my Department. A person cannot receive an invalidity pension and a widows contributory pension at the same time. In addition to her invalidity pension personal rate of €193.50, she was also in receipt of living alone allowance of €9.00, and the telephone support allowance of €2.50. These additional allowance are not payable to persons under age 66 years of age who are in receipt of widows contributory pension. As the rate of invalidity pension was higher, it remained in payment and the claim to widows contributory pension was withdrawn.

The person concerned was automatically transferred to a state pension contributory from her 66th birthday and is currently in receipt of maximum rate pension of €248.30, living alone allowance of €19.00, telephone support allowance of €2.50 and fuel allowance at the rate of €28.00.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.