Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 26 February 2026
59. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will amend the current weekly means limit for the increase for qualified adult allowance for recipients of the State pension and to increase the current means limit of €100 which has been in place since 2007; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14636/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department provides State Pension payments through the State Pension (Contributory), which is a contributory-based payment based on a person's social insurance record, and the State Pension (Non-Contributory), which is means-tested social assistance payment.
At present an Increase for qualified adult (IQA) is payable with the State contributory pension at the maximum rate of payment where the income of the qualified adult are not more than €100 per week. Reduced rates are payable where their income is over €100 and not more than €310 per week. No increase for a qualified adult is payable where their income is in excess of €310 per week.
The purpose of means tests are to ensure that the available resources, which are finite, are targeted in the most effective manner to those people who are most in need of support. For example, where a household has income from an occupational pension as well as the contributory state pension it is appropriate to consider if the State's limited resources should be directed towards increasing the income into that household, via an increase in means limits for the qualified adult payment, or to increasing incomes into other households including, for example, recipients of the non-contributory pension in receipt of the fuel allowance.
The current structure of the Irish social protection system in mediating these choices is shown to perform exceptionally well, delivering a poverty reduction effect of 62.7% - consistently one of the most effective poverty mitigation effects across the entire EU.
A review of means testing in the social protection system is currently under way in my Department. The purpose of the review of means testing is to look at the different means-tested schemes and to identify any issues in terms of the application of the respective means test.
The outcome of the review will inform decisions regarding any potential changes to means testing. All prospective changes to means testing arrangements will have to be considered in both an overall policy and budgetary context.
