Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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395. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the extent to which a person (details supplied) qualifies for the State pension, on foot of self-employed contributions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44938/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The person concerned reached pension age on 24 August 2022. An application for State pension (contributory) was received on the 08 August 2022.

Under current eligibility conditions, an individual must have 520 full-rate paid contributions in order to qualify for standard State pension (contributory). 520 full-rate contributions equate to 10 years of full-rate insurable employment.

According to the records of my Department the person concerned has a total of 416 full-rate contributions, including self employed contributions. Since their contributions fall short of the requisite 520 paid full-rate contributions, they do not qualify for State pension (contributory).

A copy of the person’s social insurance contribution record was sent to them with the decision letter on 22 August 2022. If the person concerned considers they have additional contributions from employment 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.

It is also open to the person to apply for the means-tested State Pension (Non-Contributory), the maximum rate of which is over 95% of the maximum rate of the State Pension (Contributory).

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.