Séamus McGrath
Question:751. Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Social Protection to review the impact of leave in addition to maternity leave [34182/26]
View answerTuesday, 12 May 2026
Questions (751)
Written answers
There a number of ways a person can maintain their social insurance record to ensure there is no impact on their entitlements to benefits when out on unpaid or sick leave.
Credited contributions (“credits”), which relates to employed contributors only, are an integral part of the social insurance system. Credits cover gaps in an employee’s social insurance record where they are not in a position to pay social insurance contributions such as during periods of notified incapacity for work, proven unemployment, or periods during which the person was in receipt of certain other social welfare payments, including periods in receipt of benefits or applicable types of leave following the birth of a person’s child.
Credits are awarded to such persons’ availing of Maternity Benefit, Illness Benefit, Parents Benefit, Paternity Benefit, Maternity Leave, Parental Leave. Such credits can be used to maintain qualification for relevant social insurance benefits in the normal manner.
In addition to credited contributions, my Department has a number of schemes to protect the pension entitlements of those who are not in a position to make social insurance contributions.
The Homemaker’s Scheme was introduced in April 1994 to make sure those who provide full-time care for children or for an incapacitated person were not disadvantaged when their rate of State Pension (Contributory) was being calculated, using the Yearly Average method of calculation. This method of calculation is being phased out and will no longer be used from 2034, meaning that the Homemakers Scheme will no longer be used from 2034. People will still have access to HomeCaring Periods (see below) which are used in the Total Contributions Approach calculation method. Once a person has a minimum of 10 years (520) paid social insurance contributions, the Homemaker’s Scheme may increase a person’s rate of State Pension (Contributory), by reducing the number of years used as the divisor in the Yearly Average calculation.
HomeCaring Periods were introduced for those who were born on or after 1 September 1946 (i.e those who reached pensionable age on or after 1 September 2012), with the introduction of the Total Contributions Approach to calculating rate of pay. Homecaring Periods provides that for each week spent working in the home while caring on a full-time basis for a child up to 12 years of age or an incapacitated person age 12 or over will see that time spent added to other paid or credited social insurance contributions. Unlike the Homemaker’s Scheme, these caring periods do not have any limitations on when they took place. Under the Total Contributions Approach for calculating the State Pension (Contributory), a total of 40 years (2080) social insurance contributions is required for a maximum rate of pension. A person can receive up to 1,040 HomeCaring Periods (equivalent to 20 years) included on their social insurance record.
In January 2024, Long Term Carers Contributions were introduced for those who spent time providing full time care for incapacitated family members for periods of more than 20 years. These periods, which do not need to be consecutive, can be added to paid or credited contributions to increase a person’s rate of pay. Such contributions can be used to satisfy the minimum required 520 contributions to qualify for the State Pension (Contributory).
Furthermore, the Voluntary Contribution scheme is available, subject to meeting scheme qualifying criteria, to contributors who cease to be covered by compulsory social insurance either as an employee or as a self-employed person. Voluntary Contributions act to maintain a person’s established social insurance record in respect to eligibility for State pensions in the future.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.