Following a change in Irish tax law in May 2000, thousands of Irish pensioners have increased their income by €3,175 (IR£2,500) per annum. Prior to the change social insurance contributions made as employees prior to 1953 did not count towards old age (contributory) pension entitlements. To qualify for this pension, which is non-means tested, there are two requirements:
- the claimant must have paid at least one social welfare contribution prior to 1953; and
- they must have paid contributions for at least 5 years
There is no requirement that the pensioner is currently living in Ireland.
We recently handled an application for an Irish, UK based client who worked as an employee here from 1946 to 1953, when he left Ireland permanently to live in England. Prior to the change he did not qualify for an Irish pension though he is now €3,175 per annum better off.
If you know of any Irish people living abroad aged 66 years or more and who left Ireland in the 1950′s we would like to speak to them. We can help with the application process and need details of where they worked, the dates employed and a copy of their original birth certificate.
There is a once-off fixed fee for each application, payable only when they receive their first pension cheque.
