Tipperary’s long term carers are to benefit from better pension benefits.
Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys has announced improved access to the State Pension for those who’ve spent over 20 years caring for an incapacitated relative.
It will see them provided with contributions for gaps in their social insurance records, making it easier for those caring long-term to qualify when they reach pension age.
There are approximately 10,000 carers in Tipperary.
Local Family Carers Ireland manager Richie Molloy is urging them to make sure they register for the pension no matter how long they have been looking after a loved one.
“What I’d say to Carers that maybe are now at this stage caring 15 years maybe 10 years to make sure that they register with the Department of Social Protection who have opened a new Family Carers Register. Even if you’ve only been caring 2 years at this stage you can still actually register as a Carer. And you don’t have to have been in receipt of the Carers Allowance for 20 years because lots of Carers don’t qualify for the allowance for various reasons.
Clonmel based Richie Molloy says while hoping to see the 20 year stipulation eased it is still a positive move.
“I suppose at the same time the government has to start someplace so it is an important development and now that its started recognising this 20 year caring we’ll be hoping as the years go by that that will be reduced. But its certainly a welcome development at the same time because up to now you really weren’t recognised no matter how many years you were caring. Sometimes people could have been caring for a lifetime and still were not recognised when it came to the state pension.”
On January 1st the Department of Social Protection introduced a new method of calculating a long-term carer’s entitlement to the State Pension (Contributory). The new ‘Long-Term Carer Contributions’ scheme will make it easier for long-term family carers to qualify for the State Pension (Contributory) when they reach pension age. A long-term carer is someone who has cared for more than 20 years. From January 1st 2024:
Full-time carers caring for 20+ years will be given Long-Term Carer Contributions (the carer must have registered these caring years with the Department – see below).
Long-Term Carer Contributions will be treated in the same way as PRSI paid through employment.
The care provided during these 20+ years will satisfy the statutory requirement to have at least 520 PRSI contributions (10 years) in order to qualify for the State Pension (Contributory).
To qualify for Long-Term Carer Contributions, a person, while providing care, must have:
Lived permanently in the State;
Been aged between 16 and 66;
Not been in employment, self-employment, voluntary work, training/education for more than 18.5 hours a week;
Not been getting a weekly social welfare payment, except for Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, DCA or the Carer’s Support Grant.
Lived with or reasonably close to the person being cared for and provided full-time care.
Register Caring Periods
On September 1st 2023, the Department of Social Protection opened a Register allowing full-time family carers to register their caring role. You do not have to be a long-term carer in order to register. All full-time family carers are strongly encouraged to register, even if they are receiving a care-related social welfare payment, have cared for a shorter period of time or continue to provide care.
To register you need to have a verified MyWelfare account. If you do not have an account, you will need to create and verify your MyGovID account. You can find out how to do this here.
Please follow the below steps to apply for the Long-Term Carer Contributions:
Log into MyWelfare
Scroll down to ‘Services’ and click ‘Pensions and Older People’
Click ‘Find out more’ under ‘HomeCaring Periods’ (This will allow you to apply for
HomeCaring Periods, the Home Marker’s Scheme and Long-Term Carer Contributions in one application)
Click ‘Apply now’
