Dear Askaboutmoney experts
I'm in a difficult situation with no income and no likelihood of one for 3-4 years due to caring responsibilities (carer's benefit expired; cannot get carer's allowance). My husband gets a contributory state pension so I looked at whether he could apply for an increased payment for me as an adult dependent/qualified adult. I downloaded the form SPCQA1 and read the operational guidelines on the social welfare website. I was told by Intreo that as we have always kept our finances separate, and the pension is not a means-tested benefit, it would be just my assets that would be means tested.
But when I rang social welfare today, they said that because around three-quarters of my husband's pension is from the UK system and he only gets about 50 euros a week from the Irish system, then any payment to me would be reduced by the same amount ie I think that makes it 25% of €155.50 or €38.90/week.
I am sure this is what they do in practice, however I can find no justification for this practice in the guidelines and laws. I am an Irish citizen, I have always paid all my taxes, how can I be once more excluded from any income support by this operational practice? I am considering applying then making a formal complaint about this practice, if the payment is reduced by 25% as they have told me. Neither http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Increase-for-a-Qualified-Adult.aspx or http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/860_State-Pension-Contributory.aspx seem to support this reduction.
I am trying to find out is there any way he can claim the other part of the contribution from the UK but I doubt it. Anyone have an experience with this giant pothole in the coverage for carers?
Imogen
I'm in a difficult situation with no income and no likelihood of one for 3-4 years due to caring responsibilities (carer's benefit expired; cannot get carer's allowance). My husband gets a contributory state pension so I looked at whether he could apply for an increased payment for me as an adult dependent/qualified adult. I downloaded the form SPCQA1 and read the operational guidelines on the social welfare website. I was told by Intreo that as we have always kept our finances separate, and the pension is not a means-tested benefit, it would be just my assets that would be means tested.
But when I rang social welfare today, they said that because around three-quarters of my husband's pension is from the UK system and he only gets about 50 euros a week from the Irish system, then any payment to me would be reduced by the same amount ie I think that makes it 25% of €155.50 or €38.90/week.
I am sure this is what they do in practice, however I can find no justification for this practice in the guidelines and laws. I am an Irish citizen, I have always paid all my taxes, how can I be once more excluded from any income support by this operational practice? I am considering applying then making a formal complaint about this practice, if the payment is reduced by 25% as they have told me. Neither http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Increase-for-a-Qualified-Adult.aspx or http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/860_State-Pension-Contributory.aspx seem to support this reduction.
I am trying to find out is there any way he can claim the other part of the contribution from the UK but I doubt it. Anyone have an experience with this giant pothole in the coverage for carers?
Imogen
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