Contributory Pension / Farm Assist

Duckytech

Hi,

For the last while i have been trying to sort out my fathers pension. He qualified for the Contributory State Pension at the start of this year. He is a full time farmer. My father also worked abroad for 20 odd years.


The dept. sent out a copy of his total lifetime PRSI contributions, and there appeared to be contributions missing. When we checked, there were 8 years (1999-2007) which had 0 full rate contributions.

After a long and fustrating road we eventually found out that this is because my father received Farmers Assist for those years. We also found out out accountant is a joke.

According to deptartment, if in receipt of Farmers Assist, you cannot make PRSI contributions. Which means that for those 8 years, my father will lose contributions and cant make them back. This dilutes his total contributions and so affects his pension band.

We complained to both dept of welfare and the dept of social protection.

We asked about making post dated PRSI voluntary contributions. Not allowed. Cut off date is 2007 and is only allowed for 4 years.


If a person, in receipt of a state benefit (Farmers Assist) for a certain period of time is not allowed to make PRSI contributions towards his pension, how can these years be included in the years used to calculate the pension band that the person falls in to.

Is there anywhere left to turn with this, any more appeals we can pursue?

Maybe this post is better suited in the farming section as some farmers may have experienced this themselves.

Thanks for any help.

mp22

Moved from state benefits.(Mods send it back if not suited to here)

Duckytech

Anyone got any suggestions? Maybe the mods could move to another section?

Oldtree

It may be that your best advice you can get would be from a solicitor. I am unsure of where else this thread could be moved to that would be appropriate.

blue5000

Duckytech wrote: »

Hi,

For the last while i have been trying to sort out my fathers pension. He qualified for the Contributory State Pension at the start of this year. He is a full time farmer. My father also worked abroad for 20 odd years.


The dept. sent out a copy of his total lifetime PRSI contributions, and there appeared to be contributions missing. When we checked, there were 8 years (1999-2007) which had 0 full rate contributions.

After a long and fustrating road we eventually found out that this is because my father received Farmers Assist for those years. We also found out out accountant is a joke.

According to deptartment, if in receipt of Farmers Assist, you cannot make PRSI contributions. Which means that for those 8 years, my father will lose contributions and cant make them back. This dilutes his total contributions and so affects his pension band.

We complained to both dept of welfare and the dept of social protection.

We asked about making post dated PRSI voluntary contributions. Not allowed. Cut off date is 2007 and is only allowed for 4 years.


If a person, in receipt of a state benefit (Farmers Assist) for a certain period of time is not allowed to make PRSI contributions towards his pension, how can these years be included in the years used to calculate the pension band that the person falls in to.

Is there anywhere left to turn with this, any more appeals we can pursue?

Maybe this post is better suited in the farming section as some farmers may have experienced this themselves.

Thanks for any help.

Are you 100% sure that you cannot? Maybe send a PM on to lakill, he's an accountant on here. AFAIK you can still make (voluntary) contributions when on FA. Can your father qualify for the non contributory OAP?

jt65

@ Duckytech

sent you a pm

Sam Kade

You can make voluntary contributions but they must be paid within 12 months of the previous years prsi payment.

Duckytech

blue5000 wrote: »

Are you 100% sure that you cannot? Maybe send a PM on to lakill, he's an accountant on here. AFAIK you can still make (voluntary) contributions when on FA. Can your father qualify for the non contributory OAP?

Prior to 2007, you couldn't make contributions if on FA, this was changed by the dept if social welfare. So from 2007 onwards, you can.

I thought it was bizarre but they see it as if you were claiming job seekers allowance and if you were they said you wouldn't pay contributions either. That's probably fair enough but if you can't pay contributions or even back date them, why do they include those years into account when working out your working life contributions. In fairness, the dept of social welfare rep I spoke to was understanding and sympathetic and said it was indeed an unfair rule.