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State pension question

  • 23-08-2017 3:46pm
    #1
    bucketybuck
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 18,495 ✭✭✭✭


    I'm just looking for opinions or general thoughts on something I was asked at work today, something that unfortunately I have no clue about!

    In this scenario we have John Smith and his wife, both originally from an Asian country but both now nationalised Irish citizens. John has been working for the same Irish company for 15+ years, his wife has stayed at home with the kids and has no work history.

    John is concerned that his wife will have no access to a pension when the time comes due to the lack of any contributions, and asked if I knew whether it was possible to make arrangements so that she benefit from his contributions?

    Has anybody heard of such an arrangement? Or have any thoughts on possible entitlements that his wife could be looking into?


Comments

  • #2
    coylemj
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 25,479 ✭✭✭✭coylemj


    If John's wife (let's called her Mary) had worked for some time and clocked up PRSI contributions within a paid job, she could claim credits (virtual contributions) for the time she was at home minding the kids, I think you can get credits when claiming child allowance up to the age of 12. But by themselves, these credits are no good.

    When John reaches pension age (68 if he was born on or after Jan 1st, 1961), he will be able to claim the 'adult dependant' supplement in respect of Mary, that's on top of his contributory state pension. This is means-tested but based on their situation as I read it, Mary will have no income of her own so this won't be a problem.

    The situation is that without any contributions in her own name, Mary will be dependant on John's social welfare entitlements which means that if he should die while still working, she will be entitled to the contributory widow's pension or if he gets to pension age, he can can get extra money in respect of her, currently €158.80 a week if and while Mary is below age 66 and €213.50 p.w. when she is over that age. That's in addition to the pension itself which is currently €238.30 p.w.

    http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Increase-for-a-Qualified-Adult_holder.aspx


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