The Benefit Payment for 65-Year-Olds, provided for under the Jobseeker’s Benefit scheme, was introduced to address the position of people who are required to or choose to retire at age 65 before being eligible for the State Pension at age of 66. The payment is designed to bridge the gap for people who retire from employment or self-employment at age 65 until they qualify for the State Pension at age 66. To be eligible for the payment a person must satisfy the qualifying conditions of the scheme including the PRSI social insurance contribution requirements, which demonstrates a recent attachment to the workforce.
One of the conditions for the Benefit Payment for 65-Year-Old requires a person, since entering insurable employment, to have paid 104 PRSI contributions at class A, H or P or paid 156 class S contributions if they are self-employed. This effectively requires a previous minimum of two years employment contributions or three years if self-employed.
The second contribution condition requires that a person must also have 39 employment contributions paid or credited in the Governing Contribution Year (referred to as the GCY). The GCY is the second last complete contribution year, which in 2026 refers to 2024. At least 13 of the required 39 contributions must be paid, and the remaining 26 can be credited contributions. Where a person does not meet this criteria they may qualify if they have paid 26 employment contributions in the GCY and 26 paid in the year immediately before this.
Statistics are maintained on the total applications, awards, refusals, and withdrawals for Jobseeker’s Benefit and Jobseeker’s Allowance schemes. However, data is not separately collated in respect of those refused Benefit Payment for 65-Year-Olds due to not meeting the contributions requirements.
People in receipt of Illness Benefit are required to submit medical evidence for as long as they are incapable of work. The need to be medically certified as unfit for work by a GP is a qualifying condition irrespective of age or medical diagnosis.
The Department is examining the particular circumstances in relation to the case referred to by the Deputy.
I trust that this clarifies the position.
