Contributory Pension Questions

nipper banks

I recently applied for the state contributory pension, as I am approaching 66 and have worked and paid PRSI for 39 years.
The application form asks a lot of personal questions, which seem to me are irrelevant. I have paid all the contributions and reached the required age. What else is relevant.
There is a whole section on who else lives with me. It requires me to list them and give details of their incomes etc. What relevance is that. Am I supposed to ask my nephew who stays in our granny flat, while attending college, what he earns from his part time job? Does my niece who also stays with us regularly while attending a course in Dublin live with me. Why do they want to know ?.

splinter65

nipper banks wrote: »

I recently applied for the state contributory pension, as I am approaching 66 and have worked and paid PRSI for 39 years.
The application form asks a lot of personal questions, which seem to me are irrelevant. I have paid all the contributions and reached the required age. What else is relevant.
There is a whole section on who else lives with me. It requires me to list them and give details of their incomes etc. What relevance is that. Am I supposed to ask my nephew who stays in our granny flat, while attending college, what he earns from his part time job? Does my niece who also stays with us regularly while attending a course in Dublin live with me. Why do they want to know ?.

They only want to know the details of the other people living with you if you wish to claim the Fuel allowance .(Question 27 on page 8).
Fuel allowance is means tested and is only applicable to certain claimants.
If there’s someone living with you that’s not eligible for fuel allowance then you will be disqualified from fuel allowance.
So if you do want to apply for FA then give the details.
If you don’t want to apply then put an “x” in the box “no” for question 27.
And continue to Part 7 of the form .
Apart from meanstesting a spouse or partner you may want to claim an increase for (also optional) you are not asked for anyone else’s details in any part of the form.

nipper banks

Thanks.
I was confused by the instruction at the start of the form that I must complete Parts 1 to 6. The section on others living with me is in part 6.
I now see that if I am not applying for FA, I need not complete the rest of Part 6. It would be clearer if this was made a separate optional Part like part 7.

Thanks for your help

splinter65

nipper banks wrote: »

Thanks.
I was confused by the instruction at the start of the form that I must complete Parts 1 to 6. The section on others living with me is in part 6.
I now see that if I am not applying for FA, I need not complete the rest of Part 6. It would be clearer if this was made a separate optional Part like part 7.

Thanks for your help

Yes I see what you mean. If they even emboldened the part “as they apply to you”.
The thing about the form is, as you quite rightly say, as long as you give your PPSN DOB etc the rest will be fine. A lot of the questions don’t apply to a lot of people but it has to be a one size fits all kinda form.

Squatter

splinter65 wrote: »

Yes I see what you mean. If they even emboldened the part “as they apply to you”.
The thing about the form is, as you quite rightly say, as long as you give your PPSN DOB etc the rest will be fine. A lot of the questions don’t apply to a lot of people but it has to be a one size fits all kinda form.

Actually that leads me to ask you a supplementary question.

A family member will shortly be applying for the Contrib OAP. She has a print-out of her full PRSI record from the Department and is happy that it is accurate and complete. She has never worked abroad.

Does she really need to fill in the part asking her for her full employment history for the 48 years since she left school?

Thanks.