Peadar Tóibín
Ceist:494. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of recipients who have never had a recorded PRSI contribution but receive means-tested payments. [68108/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 29 September 2026
Ceisteanna (494)
Freagraí scríofa
The Department of Social Protection administers a wide range of schemes, some of which are means-tested. Means-tested payments are administered independently of an applicant's social insurance history. PRSI contribution histories are not considered for assessing a claimant's financial need. Means-tested payments serve as a financial safety net for individuals who either have an insufficient PRSI history, or have exhausted their social insurance benefits.
Means-testing helps to target supports to those who need them most. When assessing eligibility for a means-tested payment, departmental officers look assess capital, savings, property (other than the family home), and ongoing cash income rather than retroactively querying if an individual has recorded zero lifetime contributions. Means are rarely the sole eligibility criteria for payments; applicants must also satisfy the habitual residence condition and other scheme-specific criteria.
My Department does not maintain statistics on PRSI history of recipients of means-tested schemes. Examination of recipients at the end of August 2026 of the main means-tested schemes operated by my Department is set out below. The Deputy should note that this is based on the latest PRSI data that is available to my Department, which refers to PRSI to the end of 2024 for the self-employed, and to the end of 2025 for employees.
|
Scheme |
Recipients |
Recipients with no PRSI contributions |
Percentage Without Contributions |
|
Bereaved Partner's Non-Contributory Pension |
911 |
229 |
25.1% |
|
Blind Persons Pension |
907 |
297 |
32.7% |
|
Carers Allowance |
111,027 |
11,801 |
10.6% |
|
Disability Allowance |
176,867 |
49,962 |
28.2% |
|
Farm Assist |
2,924 |
157 |
5.4% |
|
Jobseekers Allowance |
106,258 |
15,477 |
14.6% |
|
Jobseekers Transitional Payment |
16,965 |
1,721 |
10.1% |
|
One Parent Family Payment |
42,736 |
3,852 |
9.0% |
|
State Pension Non-Contributory |
101,663 |
41,537 |
40.9% |
Question No. 495 answered with Question No. 492.