Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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104. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if he will examine a case where, in the assessment of income and savings query by his Department and a review of a spouse’s pension allowance, a credit union loan was not assessed for this couple based in County Leitrim (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14350/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The Increase for Qualified Adult (IQA) allowance is a means-tested payment, payable to a claimant 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 up to €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. In the case of an IQA allowance on State Pension (contributory), the primary claimant is contacted by my Department to notify them that their continuing entitlement to the means tested IQA payment is being examined. A questionnaire is required to be completed to include details of the means of their qualified adult.

A review questionnaire issued to the person concerned on 15 January 2025. Following the review, a decision letter issued on 27 February 2025 to advise that the IQA allowance would be reduced from €184.20 to €109.00 per week with effect from 21 March 2025 based on the new means test. A copy of the means included in the review was included with the letter.

If a person has shares and savings in the credit union greater than the amount of their outstanding credit union loan balance, then only the difference between the loan amount and the savings is assessable. The corollary of this is that where the outstanding loan balance is greater than the shares and savings balance, then there is no impact on the means assessment (i.e., no means are added). In this case, as the outstanding loan amount balance was greater than the share and savings account balance, the assessable amount from the credit union was nil.

The UK pension rate included in the means used the euro exchange rate on the date of the review. While the exchange rate may vary, so too can the value of other means such as bank balances. Means assessments conducted as part of original award decisions and any subsequent reviews are assessed on a fixed date which act as a representation of the qualified adult’s typical means.

I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.