Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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358. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection his response to correspondence (details supplied) relating to the widow's/widower's contributory pension. [23123/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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It is important to note that the Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Contributory) Pension (WCP) does not discontinue at age 66. In fact, the rate of payment increases for those who reach age 66 and they may also become entitled to the Living Alone Increase if they are living alone.

It is open to a person in receipt of a WCP to apply for the State Pension (Contributory) (SPC) on reaching age 66 if that payment is more beneficial to them due to their contribution record.

The WCP is a weekly payment to the widow, widower or surviving civil partner of a deceased person. The pension remains payable while the person remains 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. Qualification for WCP is based on the social insurance record of the applicant or their deceased spouse or civil partner (but not both). State Pension age in Ireland remains at 66. A person in receipt of WCP can, at the age of 66, apply for SPC, or remain on WCP as long as they are not cohabiting. In the case where a person who is on WCP does not qualify for a maximum rate of SPC or 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. There is no requirement to transition to SPC. The maximum rate of WCP increases to €289.30 for those who reach age 66 and matches the maximum rate of SPC.

There is a general principle of one person, one payment, which applies across the social welfare system. Only one social insurance-based pension can be paid to a person at a time. This avoids double payment for the same period of insurance. It also ensures fairness and the sustainability of the Social Insurance Fund. This principle is common to Social Security Systems across the world. As a rule, people on WCP cannot be in receipt of an overlapping second payment at the same time.

The rate of primary and secondary payments to pensioners, and their adequacy, are considered in the context of the annual budgetary process. In doing so, the Government considers evidence from a wide range of sources, including agencies such as the CSO, and also research submitted by advocacy groups such as the Vincentian Partnership for Social Justice, who have a measure they call the “Minimum Essential Standard of Living (MESL)”.

The data shows that the cost of living for a single person is slightly more than the individualized cost of two people living together. For this reason, the Living Alone Increase is available to those in receipt of qualifying payments, which includes those persons over the age of 66 and in receipt of WCP or SPC. The Living Alone Increase is currently €22 per week.

There are a number of additional supports in the social welfare system which further benefit a widow or widower or surviving civil partner:

• Those in receipt of WCP or SPC may also be eligible for the Household Benefits Package. In addition, a widow or widower or surviving civil partner aged between 60 and 65 years, whose late spouse/civil partner received the Household Benefits Package from my Department, may qualify for that package if they otherwise satisfy all other conditions and receive a relevant qualifying payment.
• Those in receipt of WCP or SPC may also qualify to receive Fuel Allowance, subject to the conditions of the scheme, including a means test.
• Those in receipt of WCP or SPC and who qualify for both the Living Alone Increase and the Fuel Allowance will automatically qualify for the Telephone Support Allowance. This payment aims to help those living alone with the cost of communications and/or home alert security systems.