Carers to benefit from contributions counting towards State pension

Carers who have spent 20 years or more caring for a dependent person can from this week benefit from paid contributions that count towards the calculation of State pension provisions.

Under a new scheme launched this week by Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys, carers can apply for long-term carer contributions, equivalent to paid contributions on a pay-related social insurance (PRSI) record.

To qualify for a State pension, applicants must meet certain criteria, including having paid a set number of social insurance contributions – or now, in the case of some carers, carer contributions. The number of contributions is counted in calculating the rate of pension /to which/ a person is entitled.

A minimum number of 520 contributions is required for State pension benefits, or 10 years’ worth of contributions. For a full pension, 2,080 contributions – 40 years – is required.

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Only those who have provided full-time care for 20 years or more can qualify for long-term care contributions. Full-time care is defined as providing “continual supervision to avoid danger” to a dependent person, or providing “continual supervision and frequent assistance throughout the day with normal bodily functions”. The nature and extent of the dependent person’s disability must be certified by a doctor.

Those who are, or were, in receipt of weekly social welfare payments – excluding carer’s allowance, carer’s benefit, domiciliary care allowance or carer’s support grant – are not eligible to apply for long-term carer contributions, nor can they have been in employment, self-employment, voluntary work, training or education courses for more than 18.5 hours a week.

Since the Department of Social Protection began accepting applications for long-term carer contributions last September, the work of some 1,200 carers has already been approved for the new scheme.

Catherine Cox, head of communications at Family Carers Ireland, said that the association welcomed the introduction of the contribution scheme.

“For many years Family Carers Ireland have lobbied for an equitable State pension system that recognises rather than penalises family carers and values the immense ‘contribution’ they make through their years of caregiving, in the same way we value social insurance ‘contributions’ paid through PRSI,” she said.

Launching the scheme, Ms Humphreys said the new scheme would benefit “thousands” of people.

“This will enhance State pension provision for carers who have spent more than 20 years of their lives caring for incapacitated dependents, and help ensure that thousands of people, mainly women, who have spent time caring for their loved ones will now be able to qualify for the State pension (contributory),” she said.

The new benefits for carers are part of a number of reforms to the State’s pension scheme. From this year, retirees can draw down a State pension once they turn 66, or wait until they turn 67, 68, 69 or 70, with the weekly rate of payment improving with every year the drawing down is delayed.

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