Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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475.To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a review will be undertaken into the case of a person (details supplied) with a view to restoring IQA payment to full rate where his payment for IQA has been decreased since February 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25256/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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An increase for qualified adult (IQA) is a means-tested payment, payable to a claimant on state pension (contributory) whose spouse, civil partner or cohabitant is being wholly or mainly maintained by them, and where that qualified adult’s personal means from any source does not exceed a means test income limit.

Where a qualified adult has weekly means of less than €100, the maximum rate of IQA is payable. Where their weekly means are over €100 and not more than €310, a tapering reduced rate of IQA is payable. If the qualified adult has means of more than €310 per week, this exceeds the means limit and there is no entitlement to an IQA payment. Where property or assets are held jointly, the qualified adult's means are assessed as half of the total amount. The family home is not included in the means assessment.

As part of my Department’s commitment to ensuring that claimants are receiving their full and correct entitlements, ongoing reviews of all means tested payments are carried out. Following a review, it was decided that the weekly means of the qualified adult were €206.00. The IQA payment was reduced to €134.40 with effect from 10 February 2023.

The person concerned appealed the decision in July 2023. They were notified on 12 January 2024 that their appeal was disallowed.

It is also open to the spouse of person concerned to apply for the State Pension (non-contributory) which is a means-tested payment with a maximum payment of €266.00 per week.

I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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476.To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the options are available to stay-at-home parents who wish to qualify for the State Contributory Pension; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25292/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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This Government acknowledges the important role that carers play and is fully committed to supporting them in that role. Accordingly, the current State Pension (Contributory) system provides measures including PRSI credits, Homemaking Disregards and HomeCaring Periods to recognise caring periods of up to 20 years outside of paid employment in the calculation of a payment rate, provided the minimum of 520 (10 years) qualifying social insurance contributions have been paid.

Despite these measures, some long-term carers of incapacitated dependents may still face barriers in accessing the State Pension (Contributory), for example, they may have difficulty establishing the minimum number of 520 paid contributions. This was recognised by the Pension Commission in its report which recommended that long-term carers of incapacitated dependents should be given access to the State Pension (Contributory) and defined long-term caring as caring for an incapacitated dependent for more than 20 years.

Last December, I enacted a series of landmark reforms to the State Pension system. The measures are in response to the Pensions Commission’s recommendations and represent the biggest ever structural reform of the Irish State Pension system.

One of the key pension reform measures enacted is the introduction of enhanced State Pension provision for people who have been caring for incapacitated dependents for 20 years or more. It does this by attributing the equivalent of paid contributions to these long-term carers to cover gaps in their contribution record for the periods that they were caring for an incapacitated dependent.

This measure is available to individuals who reached State Pension age from 1 January 2024 and is also available to people currently over pension age, but they will only receive a State Pension (Contributory) or enhanced pension from 1st January 2024 where eligible.

Last year, my Department launched an online system for people to register for long term caring contributions prior to reaching pensionable age to facilitate the expeditious processing of these periods to their contribution record.

I am very pleased that the legislation to give effect to these measures was enacted in December and the scheme came into operation on 1st January 2024.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Patricia Ryan (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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477.To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will clarify, with regard to carer’s allowance and carer’s benefit, the reason these payments, although credited contributions, do not qualify as contributions for the purposes of the State pension (contributory); if there are plans to change this; if there are any measures she can take to ensure that State pension (contributory) claimants (mostly women) are not adversely affected due to providing care for loved ones to the detriment of their pension entitlements. [25321/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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There are a number of payments and pensions paid by my Department to people over State Pension Age. One of these is the State Pension (Contributory), qualification for which is based on a number of criteria, including a minimum of 520 qualifying social insurance contributions having been paid. For those who have paid the required contributions, these will be used in the calculation of their entitlements.

As the actuarial value of the State Pension is currently estimated at approximately €380,000, I believe it is 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 Government acknowledges the vital role that family carers play and is fully committed to supporting them in that role. Accordingly, the current State Pension (Contributory) system does provide measures, including PRSI credits, Homemaking Disregards and HomeCaring periods to recognise caring periods of up to 20 years outside of paid employment in the calculation of a payment rate.

In addition, last year legislation was enacted to implement a series of landmark reforms for enhanced State Pension provision for people who have been caring for incapacitated dependents for 20 years or more.

Where a person has not been in a position to satisfy the minimum of 520 paid contributions condition for pension purposes due to the time spent caring for an incapacitated dependent, they may be entitled to long-term carer's contributions. Long-term carer's contributions can be awarded to a person who has cared for an incapacitated person for a period of 20 years or more. This is done by attributing the equivalent of a paid contribution to long-term carers of incapacitated dependents to cover gaps in their contribution record for State Pension (Contributory) purposes. These contributions will be treated the same as paid contributions for State Pension (Contributory) entitlement only and can be used to satisfy the minimum 520 contributions condition.

Where a person reaches State Pension age and does not satisfy the conditions to qualify for State Pension (Contributory) or qualifies for less than the maximum rate, they may instead qualify for one of the following:

• The State Pension (Non-Contributory) which is a means-tested payment (based on their share of household means) with a maximum payment of 95% of the State Pension (Contributory); or
• An increase for a qualified adult (based on their own means), amounting up to 90% of a full rate State Pension (Contributory) where their spouse has a contributory pension; or
• Where their spouse/civil partner is deceased, a widow's/widower's/civil partner's contributory pension, which they may claim either based on their spouse's or their own social insurance record. The qualifying conditions for this require fewer contributions paid (260) than the State Pension (Contributory) and the current maximum personal rate for those aged 66 or over is €277.30, i.e., the same as the maximum rate of the State Pension (Contributory), with allowances (notably the Living Alone Allowance) payable where applicable.