State Pension (Contributory)

You can get the State Pension (Contributory) from the age of 66 if you have enough social insurance (PRSI) contributions. It is sometimes called the old-age pension.

The State Pension (Contributory) is not means tested. You can get it even if you have other income, such as an occupational pension.

As the social insurance (PRSI) conditions are very complex, you should apply for a State Pension (Contributory) if you have ever worked in Ireland and have paid PRSI contributions (stamps) at any time.

If you retire early, make sure you continue paying PRSI contributions, or that you are getting credited contributions (if you are eligible). This can help you get a contributory pension when you reach pension age.

Budget 2025: changes to State Pension (Contributory)

It was announced in Budget 2025:

• A double week payment to people getting the State Pension (Contributory) (October 2024)
• State Pension (Contributory) will increase by €12 with proportional increases for qualified adults and people on reduced rates of payment (January 2025)
• The Increase for a Qualified Child (IQC) will be renamed the Child Support Payment. The weekly rate will increase by €4 from €46 to €50, for children under 12 years of age. It will increase by €8 from €54 to €62 for children aged 12 years and over (January 2025).

Applying for State Pension (Contributory) from 2025

If you apply for your State Pension (Contributory) from 2025, there will be changes to how your pension is calculated. Read 'Changes to the State Pension (Contributory) 2025' below.

You must be at least 66 to qualify for a State pension.

You can choose to defer claiming your State Pension (Contributory) up to age 70.

Retiring early

If you retire at 65, you may qualify for a benefit payment until you reach 66.

You can also read our pages about early retirement, and retiring from work.

To qualify for a State Pension (Contributory), you must be aged 66 or over, and have enough Class A, E, F, G, H, N, or S social insurance contributions (PRSI). These are also called full-rate PRSI contributions.

You must meet 3 conditions, including:

1. You have paid PRSI contributions before a certain age

To get a State Pension (Contributory) at 66, you must have started paying PRSI before the age of 56. If you are deferring your pension, you must have started paying PRSI at least 10 years before you drawdown your pension.

Entry into insurance

The date you first started paying PRSI is called your date of ‘entry into insurance’. Your date of entry into insurance is also important when you calculate your yearly average number of PRSI contributions – see ‘Yearly average or total number of contributions’ below.

Your ‘entry into insurance’ is the date of the first paid PRSI contribution made when you started your first job. However, this may not be the case if you either:

• Have mixed PRSI contributions
• Were self-employed.

Mixed PRSI

There are special rules if you have mix of full-rate PRSI contributions and modified-rate contributions. Modified-rate social insurance contributions are PRSI contributions at Classes B, C and D (paid by civil and public servants).

If you have mixed PRSI contributions and you paid your first full-rate employment contribution before 6 April 1991 and before you were 56, your entry into insurance can be the date you first started paying the full rate of PRSI, if that would be to your advantage.

If you started to pay full-rate PRSI after 6 April 1991, your entry into insurance is the date you first paid any social insurance.

Self-employed

There are special rules on entry into insurance for self-employed people. PRSI for self-employed people was introduced on 6 April 1988. If you started paying self-employed PRSI on 6 April 1988 and had previously paid employee PRSI at any time, then your date of entry into insurance can be either 6 April 1988, or the date when you first paid employee PRSI, whichever would give you a higher rate of pension.

If you started paying self-employed PRSI after 6 April 1988, your date of entry into insurance will be the date your first contribution was paid.

2. You have a certain number of paid PRSI contributions

The number of paid PRSI contributions you need for the State Pension (Contributory) depends on your retirement date.

If you reach pension age on or after 6 April 2012, you need to have 520 full-rate PRSI contributions (10 years’ contributions).

If you reached pension age between 6 April 2002 and 5 April 2012, you needed to have 260 full-rate contributions (5 years’ contributions).

If you reached pension age before 6 April 2002, you needed 156 qualifying full-rate paid contributions (3 years’ contributions).

Check your social insurance record

If you have a MyGovID account, you can request a copy of your contribution statement through MyWelfare.ie. To do this, you need your PPS (Personal Public Service) number.

Your contribution statement shows:

• How many social insurance contributions you have, up to the end of the last tax year
• Any credited contributions you have.

3. You have a 'yearly average' or total number of contributions

The DSP will calculate your PRSI contributions differently, depending on whether you reached pension age before, or after, 1 September 2012.

If you reached pension age before 1 September 2012

If you reached pension age before 1 September 2012, you must have a yearly average number of PRSI contributions (paid or credited contributions) from the year you first started paying PRSI, to the end of the tax year before you reach pension age.

This is probably the most complex aspect of qualifying for a State Pension (Contributory). There is the ‘normal average rule’ and the ‘alternative average rule’.

Normal average rule

The normal average rule states that you must have a yearly average of at least 10 qualifying contributions paid or credited, from the year you first entered insurance, to the end of the tax year before you reach pension age.

You need an average of 10 contributions a year to get a minimum pension, and you need an average of 48 a year to get the maximum pension.

Your yearly average will be rounded to the nearest number. For example, 9.4 is rounded down to 9 and 47.5 is rounded up to 48.

Alternative average rule

The ‘alternative average rule’ says you must have an average of 48 Class A, E, F, G, H, N or S contributions (paid or credited) for each contribution year. This rule applies from the 1979-1980 tax year to the end of the tax year before you reach pension age.

If you have this average of 48 contributions, you are entitled to the maximum pension. You cannot get a reduced pension when this alternative average is used.

How your average is assessed

The DSP assesses your pension application using both the normal average and the alternative average.

The alternative average will probably be looked at first because it is easier to assess. Most employed or formerly employed people will be able to meet the alternative average rule of 48 contributions.

If you do not have an average of 48 contributions from 1979, then the DSP will assess your application using the normal average rule. You may get a reduced pension. If you do not meet the alternative average, it is almost impossible for you to have an average of 48 using the normal average rule.

If you spent time working in the home (caring)

The DSP can ‘disregard’ (not take into account) up to 20 years spent as a homemaker when calculating your yearly average. This Homemakers’ Scheme can only be used when calculating your yearly average number of contributions. See ‘Carers and the State Pension (Contributory)’ below.

If you reach pension age on or after 1 September 2012

If you reach pension age on or after 1 September 2012, you can be assessed using either the average rules (see above) or the Total Contributions Approach (TCA).

The Total Contributions Approach, also known as the Aggregated Contributions Method, does not use a yearly average to calculate the rate of pension. Instead, the rate is based on the total number of contributions you have paid before you reach the age of 66 or the age you defer your pension to.

Using the TCA, you will qualify for the maximum personal rate of State Pension (Contributory) if you have 2,080 or more PRSI contributions (or 40 years’ of employment).

The TCA calculation includes the HomeCaring Periods Scheme and Long-Term Carers Contributions, which can help you to either qualify for the SPC, or get a higher rate. See ‘Carers and the State Pension (Contributory)’ below.

You can also have up to 10 years credited contributions used as part of your pension calculation. However, your combined HomeCaring Periods and credited contributions cannot total more than 1,040 (20 years).

If your combined total of paid contributions, HomeCaring Period and credited contributions is less than 2,080, you will qualify for a reduced rate of pension.

For example, a combined total of 1,040 paid contributions, made up of HomeCaring Period and credited contributions, would entitle you to 50% of the maximum pension (1,040 / 2,080 = 50%).

If you were a homemaker or took time out of work to care for someone, you may be entitled to pension caring supports. Depending on your circumstances, you can use these supports to qualify for a State Pension (Contributory), or to get a higher rate of State Pension (Contributory).

There are 3 pension caring supports:

• The Homemaker’s Scheme (only used when averaging contributions to calculate SPC rate)
• HomeCaring Periods Scheme (used when using TCA to calculate SPC)
• Long-Term Carers Contributions (used when using TCA to calculate SPC)

You can use Long-Term Carers Contributions and HomeCaring Periods Scheme together, as long as the periods of care don’t overlap.

You don’t need to apply for each scheme separately. You only need to fill in one application form, called the PCS1 form. This form is not available to download, but you can ask the Pension Caring Supports Section of the DSP to send you a form by post (see contact details below).

If you have a MyGovID account, you can also apply for the pension caring support schemes online at MyWelfare.ie.

I already get a pension, can my weekly rate be reviewed?

If you are over 66 and already get a pension, but you think you may be entitled to pension caring supports, you can ask to have your pension reviewed. See contact details below:

The State Pension is taxable, but you are unlikely to pay tax if it is your only income.

Adult dependants

You can get an increase in your payment for an adult dependant (called an increase for qualified adult or IQA). An adult dependant is your spouse, civil partner or cohabitant.

Your income is not taken into account in the assessment for an IQA.

The DSP takes any income your adult dependant has from employment, self-employment, savings, investments and capital (for example, any property except your own home) into account. If you have joint savings or investments with your adult dependant, only half is taken into account.

If you are getting a State Pension (Contributory), the IQA is automatically paid directly to your adult dependant.

Child dependants

You can also get an increase in your payment for child dependants (known as an Increase for a Qualified Child or IQC).

However, you cannot get an IQC with your State Pension (Contributory) if your partner has an income of over €400 a week. You get a half-rate IQC if partner earns between €310 and €400 a week. This only applies to claims made after 6 July 2012.

Other benefits

You are automatically paid an extra allowance of €10 per week when you turn 80. This increase is not paid to adult dependants.

If you live alone, you may be entitled to the Living Alone Increase.

You may also be eligible for other benefits. Read about:

• Medical cards
• The Household Benefits Package
• Fuel Allowance
• Telephone Support Allowance

Apply for a State Pension (Contributory)

You cannot apply for the State Pension (Contributory) online.

You must complete a State Pension application form (SPC1) (pdf).

You can also get an application form from:

• Your local post office
• Your Intreo Centre or Social Welfare Branch Office
• Gov.ie (download and print)

When to apply for your State Pension (Contributory)

You can apply for your State Pension (Contributory) 6 months before you want your pension to start, but not earlier.

You can start your State Pension (Contributory) at any time between your 66th and 70th birthdays. Read more about deferring your pension until after the age of 66.

You may qualify for Supplementary Welfare Allowance if there is a delay in processing your claim.

Late claims

If you apply after the date that you wanted your pension to start, it can be backdated up to a maximum of 6 months, or to your chosen start date, whichever is the lesser.

Apply for an increase for your adult dependant

If you are currently getting a State Pension (Contributory) and want to apply for an increase in your payment for your adult dependant, you should complete form SPCQA1 (pdf).

Your adult dependant is paid the increase directly (the DSP does not pay the increase to you).

Read more in our page Claiming for an adult dependant.

Getting help with your application

If you need help with your State Pension (Contributory) application, you can contact your local Citizens Information Centre.

You can send your completed application for State Pension (Contributory) to:

Pro-rata pensions

You can read our page about pro-rata pensions, which may be useful if you:

• Have worked in both the public and private sectors, or
• Have ever worked abroad.

Brexit and your pension

On 31 January 2020 the UK exited the EU. However, you will still get your Irish State Pension (Contributory) or UK State Pension, as before. Irish and UK citizens living in Ireland can still benefit from social insurance contributions made when working in the UK.

Pensions Commission

The Pensions Commission was set up under the Programme for Government 2020 to examine sustainability and eligibility issues with State pensions and the Social Insurance Fund.

From 1 January 2025, if you were born on or after 1 January 1959, your pension rate will be calculated using either:

1. Only the ‘Total Contribution Approach (TCA)'
2. A combination of the ‘yearly average method’ and ‘Total Contribution Approach (TCA)’.

You will get whichever rate is greater.

Read about these methods under ‘How your pension application is assessed’ above.

Over the following 10 years (from 2025 to 2034), the ‘yearly average method’ will be phased out. By 2034, all pensions for people born on or after 1 January 1968, will be calculated using only the TCA.

Table showing how State Pension (Contributory) is calculated using combination of ‘Yearly Average’ and ‘TCA’

Example of how the rate of SPC is calculated in 2027

To get a State Pension (Contributory), you must have started paying PRSI at least 10 years before you reach the age of 66 or the age you defer your pension to.

Read more about the upcoming changes on gov.ie.