Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

195. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if he plans to raise the weekly rate of the under-66 widow’s, widower’s or surviving civil partner’s (contributory) pension from €249.50 as it is less than the Central Statistics Office’s "at risk of poverty" threshold of €318 per week; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16292/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

My Department provides a suite of income supports. These include insurance-based schemes, based on Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) contributions, and means-tested social assistance schemes.

Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Contributory) Pension (WCP) is a weekly payment to the husband, wife or civil partner of a deceased person. The pension remains payable while you remain widowed or a surviving civil partner and the payment is not means tested. As a result, a person can be in receipt of WCP and earn income from employment or self-employment.

State Pension age in Ireland remains 66. The rate of WCP for a person under 66 rate reflects the fact that a person under this age is still of working age and reflects the rates paid for other working age payments within the Department. By continuing to work the person can continue to build their own contributions so that when they reach retirement age, they can claim the State Pension (Contributory) in their own right.

By contrast, the State Pension, whether Contributory or Non-Contributory, is not a working age payment. It is paid to those who have reached the pensionable age of 66. The maximum weekly personal rate of State Pension (Contributory)(SPC) is €289.30.

In the case where a person who is on WCP and does not qualify for a max rate SPC or who only qualifies for a reduced rate SPC based on their social insurance record, they can remain on WCP beyond the age of 66 if this rate is the more beneficial to them. The maximum rate of WCP increases to €289.30 for those who reach the State Pension age of 66 to match the SPC max rate.

The rates of payment are set as part of the Budgetary process and are informed by various data including the CSO SILC. In recent successive Budgets, the social welfare packages were the largest in the history of the State, and the last three Budgets contained significant cost of living packages. The Government is focused on continuing to deliver on measures to address poverty and social exclusion.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.