Ierland
Old-age insurance - Beneficiaries and conditions for entitlement
You can claim your state pension as soon as you reach pension age. This is currently age 66. The amount of pension you receive depends on the number of qualifying years of PRSI contributions you have made.
From 1st January 2006 the standard old age contributory pension rate for people under 80 is €193.30 and €203.30 for people aged 80 and over.
Old age non-contributory pension for those aged 66 and under 80 is €182.00 and €192.00 for those aged 80 and over.
If you have not worked in Ireland for long enough to qualify for a state pension, you may be eligible for a pension from another country in which you have worked. You should contact the relevant authorities in that country for more details.
If you choose not to retire when you reach state pension age, you can either claim your pension and continue working or hold off on claiming your pension until you do retire.
Extra Benefits:
If you are aged 66 and living in the State you are entitled to a Free Travel Pass.
You may, subject to certain conditions, also qualify for
- - Electricity/Natural Gas/Bottled Gas Refill Allowance
- - Free Television Licence
- - Telephone Rental Allowance
- - Medical Card (apply to your local Health Board)
Every person age 70 or over is entitled to a Medical Card regardless of their income. Contact the Department of Health or your local Health Centre in Ireland for details.
For further information contact:
Department of Social and Family Affairs
Pension Services Office
College Road
Sligo
Tel: + 353 71 48351, + 353 71 69800, + 353 1 7043000
Email: info@welfare.ie
Web: www.welfare.ie
Department of Health and Children
Hawkins House
Hawkins Street
Dublin 2
Tel: + 353 1 6354000
www.doh.ie
Life insurance (survivors’ pensions) - Beneficiaries and conditions for entitlement
A bereavement grant is a once off payment of €635 in respect of deaths.
If you are widowed when over the age of 45 and not bringing up children, you may be entitled to bereavement allowance based on your late husband’s or wife’s PRSI contributions. A grant is a payment based on PRSI contributions which is payable on the death of:
- -an insured person
- -the wife or husband of an insured person
- -the widow or widower of an insured person
- -a child under age 18, or under age 22 if in full-time education (where either parent or the person that the child normally lives with satisfies the PRSI contribution conditions)
- -the wife or husband of a contributory pensioner
- -the qualified adult of a contributory pensioner, including those who would be a qualified adult but are getting another social welfare payment, e.g. Carer’s Allowance
- -a qualified child
- -an orphan in receipt of Orphan’s (Contributory) Allowance
This grant is payable:
-on the death of a person who has been receiving a contributory pension or on the death of his/her spouse or qualified dependants
OR
-on the death of a person who has been getting Orphan’s (Contributory) allowance or on the death of his/her guardian
OR
-a yearly average of 26 weeks PRSI paid or credited since 1979 or since starting work if later and the end of the tax year before the death occurred or pension age was reached (age 66 at present)
OR
-a yearly average of 26 weeks PRSI paid or accredited since 1st October 1970 (or since starting work if later and the end of the tax year before the death occurred or pension age was reached (age 66 at present).
If the person on whose PRSI record the claim is being made was previously insurably employed in a member state covered by EU regulations and has paid at least one full rate PRSI contribution since returning to Ireland, the insurance record in that country may be combined with the Irish PRSI.
For more information contact:
Department of Social and Family Affairs
Pension Services Office
College Road
Sligo
Tel: + 353 71 9135200 + 353 1 7043000
Email: info@welfare.ie
Web: www.welfare.ie
