Widow's State and Occupational Pensions - a couple of questions

[Z100]

Recently widowed woman is now receiving a pension from her husband's former employers (semi-state) but she's paying emergency tax because they have no PPS number for her - but she never had a PPS number. Should she just get on to Revenue about this? Can they sort it out even without a PPS number?

Secondly, she has also been told that she is entitled to a state pension (widow's/contributory??) but at the moment she has an accountant sorting out her husband's tax affairs - she's not certain of the situation yet but suspects that her husband owes tax for the last year or two, which coincided with his illness. Must all this be sorted out first before she can apply for the state pension?

Thanks.

 

[ClubMan]

Should she just get on to Revenue about this?

Yes.

Can they sort it out even without a PPS number?

They will allocate her a PPSN if necessary.

Secondly, she has also been told that she is entitled to a state pension (widow's/contributory??) but at the moment she has an accountant sorting out her husband's tax affairs - she's not certain of the situation yet but suspects that her husband owes tax for the last year or two, which coincided with his illness. Must all this be sorted out first before she can apply for the state pension?

It may depend on whether or not PRSI (as opposed to tax) payments are up to date. If the husband was self employed are you sure that his PRSI contribution class covered this benefit?

 

[Welfarite]

The best approach her is to separate the tax from social welfare pension in your mind. The only people who issue PPSNs are Social Welfare Offices. Revenue stopped issuing them a few years ago. So, she should visit her local SW office adn ask to see teh Information officer. They will help her fill in form to get a number and also a Survivor's pension application can be completed. She will need her long version birth cerrt, marriage cert, death cert, photo ID (Passport or driving licence), adn proof of address (ESB, telephone bill). The pension claim can be processed even in the absence of tax affairs being sorted out.