Amount of Annual Income Required For State Contributory Pension

taytoman

Registered User
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Hello, my wife has re-entered the workforce having been working in the home for several years. She is aged 38, and is earning about 10K per annum from her employer (private sector). Thus, she is paying little or no employee PRSI. I am just wondering what the income threshold is for clocking up annual "PRSI Stamps" towards the State Contributory Pension? In other words, is her current income level contributing towards an entitlement to the State Contributory Pension, or does she need to earn more to achieve this?
 
Yes that level of income is fine. Once she earns over 38 euro an A contribution must be paid by her employer for her. Just check the payslips to make sure everything is OK.

Always make sure that you have either an A contribution or credit for every week worked.These contributions go towards Pension, Illness Benefit etc.

NEVER allow a gap to occur in your contribution record
 
Thank you for your very prompt and quick reply. If I can pick your brains a bit further. She is working on an ad hoc basis, and might earn say €400 this week and then not work again for 3 weeks. I have some idea that you have to "pay a stamp" 48 out of 52 weeks to qualify or am I wrong? Also, there is some talk that her employer may seek to have her as a contractor instead, so she will become self employed and pay self employed PRSI. Does this class of PRSI still entitle one to a state contributory pension?
 

Have a read of the following. It should contain all the information you need.

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/e.../credited_social_insurance_contributions.html

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/e...etired_people/state_pension_contributory.html

In answer to your question, she should ensure that she is getting a PRSI credit for every week she is not working. I assume she should contact her local social welfare office about applying for JSB/JSA as a casual worker. AFAIK, once she does this, even if she is not entitled to any payment for the time she is not working, she is registered as unemployed that week and will get a credited contribution, which she needs to get the maximum pension,