Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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469. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will clarify entitlement to a State pension (non-contributory) for a person (details supplied); if this person should have received any of the cost-of-living supports which were put in place over the winter months; and if this person will be moved to an Irish pension during the course of 2023 following an agreement with the UK pensions service. [15285/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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In Budget 2023, the Department introduced social protection measures designed to assist people in receipt of certain qualifying social protection payments with cost-of-living increases. These measures included lump sum payments, increases to weekly payment rates and an expansion of the fuel allowance scheme. As the person concerned is not in receipt of a qualifying payment, they do not qualify for these cost of living support payments.

State pension contributory is payable, from age 66, to applicants who satisfy certain eligibility conditions based on the number of social insurance contributions (paid and credited) they hold over their working life. In certain cases, where an applicant has had periods of insurable employment both in Ireland and in another EU member state or a country with which Ireland has a bilateral social security agreement, they may have an entitlement to a pro-rata state pension contributory.

State pension non-contributory is a means-tested payment for people aged 66 and over, legally and habitually residing in the State, who do not qualify for a state pension contributory, or who only qualify for a reduced rate contributory pension based on their social insurance record.

According to the records of the Department, the person concerned has not applied for either of the above state pensions. In order to establish the person’s entitlement to an Irish state pension, it is necessary for them to complete and submit the appropriate SPC1 and/or SPNC1 application forms (which are available to download from the Governments website gov.ie ).

To assist the person concerned, these applications have been issued together with a fuel allowance application form, should they wish to make application. On receipt of completed pension application(s), the person's eligibility will be examined and they will be notified of the outcome.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.