Pension from Republic of Ireland

SunnyCat

In the early 2000s I lived and worked in Republic of Ireland for a few years. I was an employee and obviously paid contribution towards state pension (PRSI). I have since moved to the UK and am paying towards both state and private pension here (with a view to eventually retire in the UK in many years' time), but read somewhere that I could pay in voluntary contributions in Ireland to top up my contribution to 10 years so that I am additionally eligible for state pension from Ireland. Does anyone have any idea whether this would work? Thank you!

xylophone

https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/abroad/can-i-claim-an-irish-and-uk-state-pension-if-i-ve-paid-into-both-1.3543069

Does the above help at all?

SunnyCat

Xylophone, thank you for sharing this useful article. I think the bolded bits are pertinent in my situation:

You can choose to pay voluntary contributions if you are under 66 and no longer covered by compulsory PRSA in Ireland and if you are no longer making social security contributions (compulsory or voluntary) in another EU country. You must however have at least 520 PRSI contributions paid and you must apply to make voluntary contributions within 60 months of the end of your last contribution year and agree to pay voluntary contributions from the start of the week after your last compulsory insurance.

I am currently making contributions in another EU state - UK. This may, of course, soon no longer be the case!
And it has been over 60 months since I have left.

I suppose this answers my question about making voluntary payments - I am not eligible to make them. For the longer term question of whether (some of) my UK contributions could count towards Irish pension instead of UK one, to allow me to get both or if just one then the better of the two - I will have to wait and see what the requirements are at the time when I am looking to retire.

nigelbb

Currently as the UK is a member of the EU then pension contribution qualifying years in other EU countries are counted. If that remains the case (or a post-Brexit agreement is made) then you would get a pension from Ireland in line with your contributions there i.e. 6/10 of the normal minimum pension with 10 years contributions.

The conditions for voluntary contributions for the Irish aren't as generous as those in the UK where it's double bubble as you can continue paying contributions even while you are paying contributions in another EU country & those can even be at reduced Class 2 rate of £3/week.

SunnyCat

nigelbb wrote: »

Currently as the UK is a member of the EU then pension contribution qualifying years in other EU countries are counted. If that remains the case (or a post-Brexit agreement is made) then you would get a pension from Ireland in line with your contributions there i.e. 6/10 of the normal minimum pension with 10 years contributions.

Interesting info nigelbb. Thats good to know! We will see what happens after Brexit. I guess this won't be headlines material but assume pension arrangements will affect a fair number of people...