State Pension (Contributory) options

Flexible pension arrangements for people applying for State Pension (Contributory), are available for people who turn 66 on or after 1 January 2024.

You 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 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) may be payable to those accessing State Pension (Contributory) between ages 67 and 70

State Pension (Contributory) is based on a person’s social insurance 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.

If you were born on or after 1 January 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:

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)

How to calculate your State Pension (Contributory) rate.

The qualification criteria for State Pension (Contributory) remains unchanged:

You should apply for State Pension (Contributory) if you have ever worked in Ireland or have any full rate social insurance contributions.

In general, you will qualify for State Pension (Contributory) if:

• are aged 66 or over
• have at least 520 social insurance contributions

To get the highest possible rate of pension you need to have at least 2080 contributions

If you have more than 520 but less than 2080 contributions, your rate of pension will be less, depending on how many contributions you have.

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 in Ireland.

For people born on or after 1 January 1958, the Contribution 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).

The quickest and easiest way to request your contribution statement is through MyWelfare. All you need is a verified MyGovID account. You can get a verified MyGovID account if you have a Public Services Card, a verified mobile phone number and an email address.

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.

The application form for State Pension (Contributory) requests the date from which you wish to start claiming your State Pension (Contributory). This can be at age 66, as it is now, or for people born on or after 1 January 1958, 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.

Learn more about the impact on PRSI classes after 66 from the changes to the State Pension (Contributory).