Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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158. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason a person (details supplied) is not receiving their full pension; if she will review same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27451/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The person concerned reached pension age on 24 September 2018.  According to the records of my Department, they have a total of 929 qualifying full-rate paid contributions and 674 credited contributions from their date of entry into insurable employment on 6 August 1969 to end-December 2017.  This equates to a yearly average of 33 contributions and gives them an entitlement to a standard State pension (contributory) at 90% of the maximum rate.  They were notified in writing of this decision on 27 September 2018.

An interim Total Contributions Approach (TCA) was introduced in January 2018 as an alternative to the ‘yearly average’ method of calculating pension entitlement for those State pension (contributory) customers born on or after 1 September 1946 and therefore affected by post-2012 Budget pension rates.  The TCA provides for up to 20 years of HomeCaring Periods in their pension entitlement calculation for applicants who took time out of the workplace for parenting or caring duties.

When the person’s State pension (contributory) was reviewed under this approach, they were awarded 433 HomeCaring Periods.  This increased their rate of pension entitlement from 90% to 90.48% of the maximum rate.  They were notified in writing of this decision on 1 April 2019.

Since the person concerned was employed in the public sector and paid a modified contribution from 1971/72 to 1980/81, their entitlement to a mixed insurance pro rata State pension (contributory) was also determined, based on their combined modified and full-rate social insurance records.  However, their rate of pension entitlement would be lower than their current pension rate.

Accordingly, the person concerned is in receipt of the correct rate of State pension (contributory) commensurate with their social insurance record as held by my Department. If they consider that they have additional contributions or credits that have not been recorded, it is open to them to forward documentary evidence to my Department and their pension entitlement can be reviewed.

I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.