PRSI for contributory state pension

D

Dododo

Registered User
Messages
16
Hi. Can anyone confirm the minimum amount of earnings and/or hours employed per week required to to receive an "A" PRSI stamp for state contributory pension purposes?
Thanks.
 
It is not only the minimum income threshold that you need to be aware of - it is also the work pattern, assuming you are part time. It is easy to miss out on contribution weeks if you get the pattern wrong. And it can change year to year:

Part-time work and social insurance (PRSI)

This page explains how part-time work can affect your PRSI contributions.
www.citizensinformation.ie
 
As a follow on...I have a pretty mixed PRSI history with approximately 350 A stamps and a large number of D stamps. Can anyone point me to a website or some other resource where I might be able to interpret/calculate what I have in relation to what I need to be able to claim a contributory pension? Thanks.
 
Scroll down to the section on "pro rata pension for mixed insurance" here:

State Pension (Contributory)

The State Pension (Contributory), previously called the Old Age (Contributory) Pension, is payable to people aged 66 and over who have worked and paid enough social insurance contributions.
www.citizensinformation.ie
 
Thanks for that. It ain’t simple I’m afraid…I need an expert I’m afraid.
 
If you are eligible for a Pro Rata Mixed Rate Pension, the calculation is the number of years at A (c7 years in your case) divided by the total number of contributions (A+D) multiplied by the Full State Pension.
So perhaps 7/40 x €253.30
 
Thanks Conan. I wonder what is the best/most efficient way to approach all this? As I say I have about 350 A, 1500 D, 40 credits with first stamp paid in 1981 and 10 years left to 66. I also have child with special needs who I care for now. I do a few hours a week part time work currently.
 

As a general rule the best thing to do is to maximise your future Class A contributions. If you can manage that for the next decade then you'll have another 520 reckonable contributions, giving you some 870 reckonables, plus 40 credits (maybe more if you can avail of homemaker credits).
That would get you 910/2080ths of the full contrib pension. (44%).

Failing that, you should aim to have a total of 520 paid reckonable contributions (that's 170 more) so you'll be eligible for the SCP when you turn 66.

Are you aware of the Homemaker's Scheme? I suggest that you read the link and see whether it may apply to you. See HERE.
 
Last edited:
I'd just add one thing to my previous response. If you're ineligible for the State Contributory pension and if the pro-rata Mixed pension is small, bear in mind thast you - and everyone else - can apply for the non-contributory State Pension, which may be worth more to you. But bear in mind that this is a means-tested payment.
 
Hi Groucho. Many thanks for the pointers and info. Do you know if you have to have 520 A stamps to avail of the Homemakers Scheme? Thanks.
 
Dododo said:
Hi Groucho. Many thanks for the pointers and info. Do you know if you have to have 520 A stamps to avail of the Homemakers Scheme? Thanks.
Click to expand...

No you don't! But without them, you won't be eligible for the Contributory Pension so they won't be very much use to you!

Remember that to be eligible for the State Contributory pension you MUST have a minimum of 520 paid full-rate PRSI contributions on your record (in your case that's Class A). Without those you simply aren't going to be eligible for the SCP - unless the rules change, which seems unlikely.

So the priority for you is to make those extra 170 paid PRSI contributions before you reach pension age. Once you have those on your record, any credits that you may get from the Homemaker's Scheme will enable you to get a higher weekly rate of pension.
 
Groucho said:
I'd just add one thing to my previous response. If you're ineligible for the State Contributory pension and if the pro-rata Mixed pension is small,
Click to expand...

Just a small point of clarification, Groucho. The "pro rata" pension is still the Contributory State Pension. It is just a different way of considering eligibility for people with a mixed insurance history (full rate and modified rate). 260 full rate contributions may be enough for someone to qualify on this basis, depending on the full insurance record - although the resulting pension rate my be small. Your point about maximising the full rate record as much as possible is important.
 
Thanks Early Riser. Much appreciated!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register