Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

833. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if her Department will provide support for a person (details supplied) whose pension has been reduced; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63184/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The person concerned reached pension age on 24 August 2022.  According to the records of my department an application for State Pension (contributory) was received on 19 September 2022.

The person concerned has a total of 1,431 reckonable paid and credited social insurance contributions from 07 May 1975 to the end of December 2021.  This equates to a yearly average of 30 contributions giving an entitlement to 90% of the State Pension (contributory) rate of payment.  This is the correct rate commensurate with the social insurance record as held by my Department.

To qualify for State Pension (contributory) at the maximum rate, the person concerned would need a yearly average of at least 48 contributions.

I have arranged for a copy of the person’s social insurance record to issue to them.  If the person considers that additional contributions or credits have not been recorded, it is open to them to forward documentary evidence to my Department and their pension entitlement will be reviewed.

It is also open to them 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 have arranged for a State Pension non-contributory application form to issue to them.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.