Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 18 June 2026
27. 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. [44962/26]
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.
A State pension (contributory) recipient can claim an increase on their pension in respect of a qualified adult where the eligibility conditions for this means-tested payment are satisfied.
Article 7 of SI 142 of 2007, the Social Welfare (Consolidated Claims, Payments and Control) Regulations, as amended, sets out the income limit for the payment of an IQA across a range of schemes, not solely in respect of the State Pension (Contributory) scheme.
An Increase for qualified adult is payable at the maximum rate of payment where the means of the qualified adult are not more than €100 per week. Reduced rates are payable where means are over €100 and not more than €310 per week. No increase is payable where means are in excess of €310 per week.
Means tests and income thresholds are kept under regular review and a number of significant changes have been made in recent years. In particular, a number of changes to means testing which provide for higher income disregards have been introduced. These disregards ensure that, where people are in receipt of a means-tested payment from my Department and are working, a certain level of income from that work is not assessed in the means test.
A comprehensive review of means testing in the social protection system is complete and with senior management for review. 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. Any change to the the income limit for the payment of an Qualified Adult Increase in respect of State Pension (Contributory), as suggested in the parliamentary question, would need to encompass the other schemes affected and would have to be considered in an overall policy and budgetary context.
