Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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1021.To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the terms on which a full-time carer can be considered for pension eligibility based on their years of caring; if contributions during years of full-time caring can be mixed with contributions of other sorts; and if minimum paid insurance requirements are different where a mixed contribution record applies.[35827/24]

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, once a person has met the minimum requirement of 520 paid contributions, 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.

Despite these measures, some long-term carers of incapacitated dependents may still face barriers in accessing the State Pension (Contributory). They may, for example, have difficulty establishing the minimum number of 520 paid contributions.

I was very pleased that legislation to give effect to a number of important State Pension reforms was enacted last December. A key measure introduced under this legislation is enhanced State Pension provision for people who have been caring for incapacitated dependents for over 20 years.

Since January 2024, long-term carers contributions (LTCCs) can be awarded to a person who has cared for an incapacitated person for a period of 20 years (1040 weeks) or more and these contributions can be used towards the calculation of their State Pension (Contributory) entitlement. 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. These long-term carers contributions will be treated the same as paid contributions for State Pension (Contributory) entitlement only and can, where there are gaps in paid contributions, be used to satisfy the minimum 520 qualifying contributions condition.

The long-term carers' contributions can be used in conjunction with other paid or credited contributions to increase a person’s rate of payment. For example a person who had 30 years’ worth of LTCCs would be paid the maximum rate of contributory pension if they had 10 years’ worth of paid contributions from employment of self-employment.

For those who have a mixed record of reduced rate Class B or D contributions, in addition to full rate contributions (e.g. Class A, or Class S), a minimum of 260 (5 years) qualifying contributions paid at the full rate is required to access a mixed-rate State Pension (Contributory). Once an individual has met the 260 qualifying contribution threshold, they will be entitled to a pro-rata rate of State Pension (Contributory) based on their contribution record.

Where a person qualifies for a pro-rata State pension, they may also be eligible to apply for homecaring periods or homemaker disregards for time out of work to provide full-time care.

Assessment for eligibility for a State Pension (Contributory) payment, including a mixed insurance pro-rata State Pension, will, in all cases, depend on the individual's circumstances, including when he or she has reached / will reach State Pension age and their social insurance history.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.