Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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216. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason under the new total contributions approach for the State pension a person (details supplied) appears not to qualify for any payment; if the case will be reviewed as a matter of urgency; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23348/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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To qualify for state pension (contributory) a person must have at least 520 full-rate social insurance (PRSI) contributions paid since entering insurable employment. If this condition is met, the rate of payment is then calculated using the ‘Yearly Average’ method and the ‘Total Contributions Approach’.

According to the records of my department, the person concerned has a total of 204 full-rate contributions. Since their contributions fall short of the requisite 520 full-rate contributions, they do not qualify for the standard state pension (contributory).

The person concerned was awarded home caring periods for the period 8 August 1984 to 3 August 2002. Home Caring Periods can be used to improve the rate pension under the ‘total contributions approach’. They cannot, however, be used to satisfy the requirement to have 520 full rate contributions.

As the person concerned paid modified contributions, they were considered for a mixed insurance state pension (contributory). To qualify for this pension, 520 employment contributions are required, of which at least 260 must be full-rate contributions with the remainder made up of modified contributions. Since their full-rate contributions fall short of the requisite 260, they do not qualify for a mixed insurance pension.

I introduced a number of reforms to the state pension (contributory) including a provision for people who have been caring for incapacitated dependents for over 20 years (1040 weeks). If the person concerned has been caring for incapacitated dependents for over 20 years, they can apply for long-term carers contributions (LTCC). If the criteria are met, the equivalent of paid contributions may be attributed to cover gaps in their contribution record. The periods of caregiving do not need to be consecutive.

The quickest way to apply for LTCCs is online at MyWelfare.ie if the person has a verified MyGovID account. Further information is available on the Government website at gov.ie/pensions.

The person concerned applied for the state pension (non-contributory) in August 2020. Following an assessment of the means of the person concerned, a deciding officer deemed that the person’s means exceeded the weekly permissible statutory limit to qualify for state pension (non-contributory).

The person concerned requested a review of this decision in January 2023. As the requested documentation was not submitted to my department, the original decision still stands. It is still open to the person concerned to submit the requested documentation. On receipt of this information, their entitlement to state pension (non-contributory) will be reviewed.

I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.