Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 March 2026
620. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Social Protection the plans in place to reduce the number of years that a carer must care for in order to receive the carer’s pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16184/26]
View answerThe State Pension (Contributory) (SPC) is funded from the Social Insurance Fund through the contributions paid by workers. The rate of payment reflects the number of social insurance contributions paid over a working life. Eligibility for the SPC is based on a number of criteria:
• Being aged 66 or over.
• Having entered the Social Insurance system 10 years before you intend to drawdown your SPC.
• Having a minimum of 520 paid social insurance contributions (i.e., 10 years reckonable PRSI contributions).
The previous Government established the Pension Commission in November 2020 to review the State Pension system, examine the sustainability of the State Pension and the Social Insurance Fund and make recommendations for its future. The Commission was an independent body comprised of knowledgeable and experienced academics, pension experts, members of civil society and representatives of workers and employers.
This Government acknowledges the important role that family carers play and is fully committed to supporting them in that role. Accordingly, carers are not excluded from access to the SPC. Once a person has met the minimum requirement of 520 paid contributions, the State Pension system gives significant recognition to those whose work history includes extended periods outside of paid employment, often to raise families or in a full-time caring role including:
• PRSI credits (which include Credits for Carers Benefit and Carers Allowance).
• 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 dependants faced barriers in accessing the SPC.
The Pensions Commission was also asked to consider how people who have provided long-term care for incapacitated dependants can be accommodated within the State Pension system. The Commission engaged in a public consultation process and had the benefit of presentations from Family Carer’s Ireland and the National Women’s Council in forming its recommendations on the proposals and the period of care. The Commission recommended that long-term carers should be given access to the SPC and defined long-term caring as caring for more than 20 years. Setting the criteria of more than 20 years is in recognition of the existing access to SPC for carers who may have up to 20 years of caring periods.
Since January 2024, long-term carer's contributions can be awarded to a person who has cared for an incapacitated person for a period of 20 years or more. These contributions will be treated the same as paid contributions for SPC entitlement only and can be used to fill any gaps in a person's contribution record, including satisfying the minimum 520 contributions required for eligibility.
Where a person has less than 20 years caring, they may be entitled to avail of up to 20 years HomeCaring periods or the Homemakers scheme or rely on PRSI credits subject to existing qualification conditions of having 520 paid contributions. All caring periods that are registered with my Department will be recorded on a person's contribution record.
As the actuarial value of the SPC is currently estimated at approximately just under €400,000, it is reasonable to require people claiming a contributory pension to have made at least 520 paid contributions over the term of their working life to qualify for a payment. The Pension Commission strongly supported the retention of the qualifying criterion of 520 paid contributions.
Where a person reaches State Pension age and does not satisfy the conditions to qualify for the SPC or qualifies for less than the maximum rate, they may instead qualify for one of the following:
• The State Pension (Non-Contributory) which is a means-tested payment (based on their share of household means) with a maximum payment of just over 96% of the SPC; or
• An increase for a qualified adult (based on their own means), amounting up to 90% of a full rate SPC where their spouse has a contributory pension; or
• Where their spouse/civil partner or qualified cohabitant is deceased, a Bereaved Partner’s Contributory Pension, which they may claim either based on their deceased partner’s or their own social insurance record. The qualifying conditions for this require fewer contributions paid (260) than the SPC and the current maximum personal rate for those aged 66 or over is €299.30, i.e., the same as the maximum rate of the SPC, with allowances (notably the Living Alone Allowance) payable where applicable.
This combination of all of the above measures ensures that no person with a viable income need falls outside these schemes.
Any future changes to State Pension system, including changes to contributions or the recognition of contributions outside of the existing criteria, would have to be considered in an overall policy and budgetary context and also in the context of the sustainability of the Social Insurance Fund.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
