PRSI and Maternity

[JohnMM]

Is there a way for my wife to get PRSI Credit (For contributory pension) for the years she took off on maternity leave, when living outside the country?

 

[Paul M.]

It depends on the social insurance system of the country she was living in at the time. If they offer social insurance contributions for that period, she can claim them there and then combine them into her Irish PRSI. See https://www.citizensinformation.ie/...t/social-insurance-contributions-from-abroad/

 

[Dr Strangelove]

for the years she took off on maternity leave, when living outside the country?

Was she on maternity leave from a job in this other country? Or full-time carer for kids? Or both?

What was the country? When was it?

Detail might help you get a better response.

 

[JohnMM]

She was working in the UK before taking 4 years off around the early years of our 2 children, then she returned to Ireland and returned to work. Overall she was "off work" for about 5 years, from the time she gave up work after the birth of our second child, until we returned to Ireland.

 

[Dr Strangelove]

She was working in the UK

Is she paying UK voluntary NI contributions? If not she should be. See here: https://askaboutmoney.com/threads/u...or-uk-pension-on-top-of-irish-pension.230581/

I don’t think she can use periods outside Ireland to qualify for the homemakers’ scheme, see here.

Overall she may be better off. If she can make UK voluntary NICs she could get a full UK state pension as well as a partial Irish one.