Publication
A more flexible Contributory State Pension
From Department of Social Protection
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New flexible pension arrangements for people applying for State Pension (Contributory), will be introduced in January 2024. These are for people who turn 66 on or after 1 January 2024.
If you are aged 66 in 2024 or later, you will have the choice to claim your State Pension (Contributory) on any date between the age of 66 and 70.
Your start date will be the date that you want to start receiving State Pension (Contributory).
These new arrangements may help you to qualify for:
- State Pension (Contributory) if you did not qualify at age 66
- a higher rate of State Pension (Contributory) than you would have at the age of 66
State Pension (Contributory) is based on a person’s Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) contributions in Ireland.
For people born before 1958, social insurance contributions up to the age of 66 were counted. This calculated the rate of State Pension (Contributory) awarded.
Many people are choosing to continue to work after the age of 66. They would like to improve the rate of State Pension (Contributory) available to them if they would otherwise get a reduced rate of State Pension (Contributory) at age 66.
If you were born on or after 1958, you can choose to claim the State Pension (Contributory) on any date between age 66 and 70. This will allow us to include any additional contributions you may have on your record up to your claim start date, to a maximum of age 70, when calculating the rate of pension State Pension (Contributory) payable.
If you choose a claim start date between ages 67 and 70, you may be entitled to a higher rate of State Pension (Contributory). This is called an actuarially increased rate of payment.
In these circumstances, the pension rate will be dependent on your age when you chose to draw down your pension payment:
| Age on claim start date | 66 | 67 | 68 | 69 | 70 |
| Maximum Rate* | €277.30 | €290.30 | €304.80 | €320.30 | €337.20 |
Based on January 2024 rates of State Pension (Contributory)*
Age-related reduced rates of payment will also be payable, should you not have an entitlement to the maximum rate on the date you chose to start your State Pension (contributory)
The qualification criteria for State Pension (Contributory) remains unchanged:
You should apply for State Pension (Contributory) if you have ever worked in Ireland and paid any social insurance contributions.
In general, you will qualify for State Pension (Contributory) if:
- your social insurance record began 10 years prior to your claim start date
and
- you have at least 520 full-rate social insurance contributions since starting insurable employment OR paid at least 260 full-rate contributions if you turned 66 before 6 April 2012
To help estimate the rate of State Pension (Contributory) you may receive, you can request a copy of your Contribution Statement on MyWelfare.ie.
Your Contribution Statement is a summary of your pay related social insurance (PRSI) record contributions in Ireland. For people born on or after 1 January 1958, the contributions statement will also include contributions paid and/or Long-Term Carers contributions awarded between ages 66 and 70, or up to the date you have chosen to start you State Pension (Contributory).
To access services on MyWelfare.ie, you will need a verified MyGovID account.
Details of how to use your Contributions Statement to estimate the rate of State Pension (Contributory) you might qualify for are available here.
The minimum age you can claim continues to be 66.
You should apply for State Pension (Contributory) no more than 6 months in advance of your claim start date. If you are submitting a late application, your chosen claim date cannot be more than 6 months prior to receipt of claim.
A new version of the State Pension (Contributory) application form will be available shortly. The new application form will request the date from which you wish to start claiming your State Pension (Contributory). This can be at age 66, as it is now, or on any date between ages 66 and 70.
Once State Pension (Contributory) payments have started, you will not be able to change this date even if you are continuing to work. This is because you will no longer be liable to pay social insurance contributions after the date your State Pension (Contributory) starts.
If you submit an application using the current SPC1, below, and your 66th birthday is in 2024, we will write to you to confirm the date you want to start claiming your State Pension (Contributory).
Application Form: State Pension (Contributory) (SPC1)
Edition: March 2024
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It is not possible for the department to advise you of your State Pension (Contributory) rate before we have received your application form. We can't advise you on whether you should choose a start date for State Pension (Contributory) that is later than at age 66. You will need to carefully consider your own personal circumstances before making this decision
It is not possible for the department to advise you of your State Pension (Contributory) rate before we have received your application form. We can't advise you on whether you should choose a start date for State Pension (Contributory) that is later than at age 66. You will need to carefully consider your own personal circumstances before making this decision
State Pension (Contributory) Section
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Social Welfare Services, Department of Social Protection, College Road, Sligo, Co. Sligo, F91 T384
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