# How can I find out how many state pension contributions I have



## Pepper5050 (26 Oct 2018)

Hello.  I finished a job in May 2017.  I decided to do a bit of world travelling with 1 big rucksack.  I am 56 now.  I will return to Ireland Summer 2019.  A friend told me that it might be a good idea to make a voluntary person contribution when I am away to the State pension.   I called the citizen's advice number and they were very helpful.   They advised me to check my contributions so I can make a measured decision if I need to or not make a payment.

They directed me to mygovid website  The site looks good but the issue for me is they said I need a public service card.  I don't have one of these and cannot get one until I return to Ireland.

My question is does anyone know a way I can access my state pension contributions without this.  card?   Can they post to my house in Ireland and someone can pass one?

Thanks.

Pat


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## noproblem (26 Oct 2018)

Can anyone just give up working and make voluntary contributions for the pension later on? Seems too simplistic a solution for anyone and expensive for the state and taxpayers.


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## Pepper5050 (26 Oct 2018)

I am using my savings to travel for a while.  If the state does not have this simplistic solution I will not be asking them to make a personal exception for me. I could go into my many years of working etc but really the question I am asking if there is a way to find out how many contributions I have made. I will be working again on my return.


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## elcato (26 Oct 2018)

Make a request here from the dept of social welfare and they will send you a copy of your history.


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## jpd (26 Oct 2018)

if you ring the dept in Sligo, they may give you an answer over the phone but then again they may not.

You could send in a written application for your insurance record and they will post it to your address..


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## Conan (26 Oct 2018)

The Dept of Social Protection records office is based in Buncrana in Co. Donegal. Contact them, explain your position and they may send you your PRSI record.


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## huskerdu (26 Oct 2018)

Conan said:


> The Dept of Social Protection records office is based in Buncrana in Co. Donegal. Contact them, explain your position and they may send you your PRSI record.


This is correct.
According to citizensinformation.ie, if you cant use mywelfare.ie, contact the PRSI records department at

*PRSI Records*
Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection
McCarter's Road
Ardaravan
Buncrana
Donegal
Ireland 

*Tel:*(01) 471 5898 (If calling from outside the Republic of Ireland please call +353 1 471 5898) 
*Locall:*1890 690 690 (Note: the rates charged for using 1890 (Lo-call) numbers may vary) 
*Homepage:* http://www.welfare.ie/


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## Bronte (26 Oct 2018)

Pepper5050 said:


> Hello.  I finished a job in May 2017.  I decided to do a bit of world travelling with 1 big rucksack.  I am 56 now.  I will return to Ireland Summer 2019.  A friend told me that it might be a good idea to make a voluntary person contribution when I am away to the State pension.   I called the citizen's advice number and they were very helpful.   They advised me to check my contributions so I can make a measured decision if I need to or not make a payment.
> 
> They directed me to mygovid website  The site looks good but the issue for me is they said I need a public service card.  I don't have one of these and cannot get one until I return to Ireland.
> 
> ...



To find out your history it's the Pension office in Donegal, I got a statement for myself and my husband recently. Only took a couple of weeks to get the documents.  Tel: 00 353 1 4715898 But I sent an email to: 'cstgeneralqueries@welfare.ie'

Rough copy of my email:


_Both myself and my husband live abroad.  


Mary Murphy 123456 Y
Paddy Duffy 123456 X





Our address is: 


...... 


In your systems you still have our Irish adresss (previous Irish address)




Can you please send us our PRSI records and update our current address.  Proof of which is attached. _


To see if it's worthwhile to make extra voluntary contributions I was told it was best to apply and then they would figure out if it was worthwhile or not.  This is done via an office in Waterford.


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## Bronte (26 Oct 2018)

jpd said:


> if you ring the dept in Sligo, they may give you an answer over the phone but then again they may not.
> 
> You could send in a written application for your insurance record and they will post it to your address..



After I got our records, it's needed for our pension office here as my husband will be entitled to an Irish state pension, the abroad office sends out an EU document and you've to fill in your Irish history of where you worked, that document is then sent to Ireland, and they confirm it and send it back abroad. So as it was easier to talk to someone in Ireland I spoke I think with Sligo and they were really helpful and were able to tell me at what age and what amount my husband would be entitled to.  But you need to talk to the right person who knows their stuff.


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## elcato (26 Oct 2018)

The link I have above is to the welfare office and allows you to email them and get a statement. Don't bother with a call, you'll be on hold etc etc


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## orka (26 Oct 2018)

noproblem said:


> Can anyone just give up working and make voluntary contributions for the pension later on? Seems too simplistic a solution for anyone and expensive for the state and taxpayers.


Yes, anyone can give up working and make voluntary contributions towards their ultimate state pension.  It needs to be started within 5 years of last making a paid contribution (so the OP still has time - but you have to pay backdated to last contribution).  

Contributions are based on your previous contribution/salary level which has always struck me as a bit unfair (2 people both earning zero but for the same credited contribution, one pays voluntary contribution of 6K per annum and the other pays €500 per annum) but I digress...


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## Pepper5050 (26 Oct 2018)

Thanks all for taking the time to reply.  I have the info I need now.


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## dub_nerd (27 Oct 2018)

You used to be able to request your PRSI contribution history to be posted out by ringing that Donegal office. It sounds like it still works, from the posts above. The mywelfare.ie web address looks like a handy alternative until you realise they need an address verification and you have to call into a local office to do it. Seems mad as generally you're only looking to have something posted to your own address, which welfare get from Revenue. So I'd recommend the Donegal phone call route if it works.

Yes you can pay voluntary contributions but based on your last year of work. I earned a big whack of extra money that year so contributions were going to cost something like €12-15k/yr which seemed insane. But then I declared unearned income in subsequent years and understand that they might credit class S contributions for the PRSI levied against those. This also seems mad in the opposite direction, as it would then be costing me about a tenth of the price of voluntary contributions. I plan to check what the story is if I can persuade them to mail me a contribution record.


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