Transfer UK NI contributions for full Irish state pension?

[iloveashtrees]

Hello! I am 58 and have 8 years full PRSI contributions from 2001 to 2009 and unfortunately since unemployed. Hence 2 years short of entitlement to full Irish state pension, so my Irish state pension will be means tested.

Prior to 2001 various years UK national insurance contributions from 1976 equating to £70/week UK state pension, as well as 4 years abroad that probably will not produce any pension.

I also have a Zurich PRSA in Ireland which should equate to €100/week. I presume my means tested Irish state pension would then be reduced by this amount making it worthless.

If I transferred my UK national insurance contributions would this provide me with a full Irish state pension?

 

[jpd]

You can't transfer your UK national insurance to Ireland but if you let them know about your UK contribution, under EU rules, they will calculate whether you are entitled to a reduced Irish non-contributory pension.

The UK should also look at your Irish contribution when calculating your UK pension.

 

[iloveashtrees]

Thanks.. I'm an Irish resident and intend to stay here. Perhaps someone could confirm this: I did a bit more research since asking the question and it seems 6 months prior to reaching retirement age (67) I should contact social welfare pensions Sligo and they'll contact the UK to obtain my UK contributions record. Those UK contributions would be added to my PRSI and the actual pension calculated from the average annual contribution overall, producing probably a reduced Irish non-contributory pension. My PRSA should then be tax free on top of that.. I think?

 

[jpd]

I don't think your PRSA pension will be tax-free unless your total income is below the income tax threshold.

The calculation is done so that they will calculate what your Irish entitlement would be if all your insurance contribution had been paid in Ireland. Whatever pension this comes to is then reduced by the ratio of actual Irish contributions / total UK and Ireland contributions. You will get the greater of this figure and the pension calculated using the Irish contribution alone, if any

If you received social welfare payments eg job seekers allowance, then these may have counted towards your national insurance record for pension purposes.

You need to check your record with the office in Sligo

 

[Lisboa]

Hello! I am 58 and have 8 years full PRSI contributions from 2001 to 2009 and unfortunately since unemployed. Hence 2 years short of entitlement to full Irish state pension, so my Irish state pension will be means tested.

Prior to 2001 various years UK national insurance contributions from 1976 equating to £70/week UK state pension, as well as 4 years abroad that probably will not produce any pension.

Depending on which country abroad, Ireland has social security arrangements with some other countries that allow you to combine social insurance contributions from Ireland and abroad.

So that could add another 4 years to your total.

EU countries, along with USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and there's probably a few more, I believe can all be contributed to your social insurance.