Matt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent)
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438. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she and her Department have plans to revert the contribution eligibility criteria for the State pension (contributory) to pre-2012 band rates; if she will request her Department to review the numerous applications made by a person (details supplied) in County Waterford who, through no fault of their own, falls outside the eligibility criteria currently set out for both the contributory and non-contributory pension; if she will outline in detail the reason that their years spent as a home carer are not being taken into consideration in this instance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52813/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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According to the records of my Department, the person concerned reached pension age on 26 February 2017. An application for State pension (contributory) was received on the 06 June 2018.

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 324 full-rate contributions. Since their contributions fall short of the requisite 520 paid full-rate contributions, they do not qualify for State pension (contributory).

They were notified in writing of this decision on 20 July 2018, provided with a copy of their social insurance record on which the decision was based, and afforded the right of review and/or appeal.

It is considered reasonable to require people claiming a contributory pension to have made at least 10 years of paid contributions over the term of their working life, before qualifying for a payment. This was also endorsed by the Commission on Pensions.

Both the homemakers scheme and home caring credits can be used to improve a person’s rate of pension entitlement. However, a person must firstly satisfy the qualifying conditions for State Pension (contributory) to avail of either of these schemes.

The person concerned applied for the means-tested State pension (non-contributory) on a number of occasions, most recently this year (2022). Based on the information provided with their application, they did not qualify for this payment. Their assessed weekly means exceeded the current statutory limit for State pension (non-contributory). If the person concerned believes that their circumstances have changed, it is open to them to reapply.

Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, my Department can make additional needs payments to help meet expenses where a person cannot do so from their weekly income. Decisions on such payments are made on a case-by-case basis.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.