The Homemaker's Scheme makes it easier for a homemaker to qualify for the State Pension (Contributory). A homemaker is a person (male or female) who gives up work on or after 6 April 1994 to care for a child (under 12) or someone who has a disability.
Currently when you reach pension age any years spent as a homemaker are ignored when working out your yearly average contributions for a State Pension (Contributory). A credit-based system is under consideration but no date has yet been set for implementation. The new system will grant credits for time spent homemaking.
To be eligible for the Homemaker's Scheme, you must:
Before 14 March 2005, you were required to live with the person you were caring for. Since 14 March 2005, if you are not living with this person:
The person being cared for must be so disabled or incapacitated as to need:
Or
It's important to note that only one person can be regarded as the homemaker at any one time. If you stop being a homemaker and your spouse or civil partner takes up homemaking duties, you should notify the Department immediately to ensure there is no loss of entitlements under the Homemaker's Scheme.
A homemaking year is a year in which you are out of the workforce for the full tax year. Up to a maximum of 20 homemaking years can be disregarded for State Pension (Contributory) purposes.
Homemaker's credits are awarded up to the end of the contribution
year during which someone becomes a homemaker. If the person stops being a
homemaker during the contribution year, homemaker's credits are awarded up to
that date.
You should register before the end of the contribution year after the year in which you first become a homemaker. For example, if you become a homemaker between 1 January 2012 to 31 December 2012, you should register before 31 December 2013.
Along with your Homemaker's registration form (pdf), you will need to provide:
Birth certificates for social welfare purposes are available from the General Registers Office or from your local Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages for €1. If you are unable to get the certificate(s) immediately, you should send in your claim with a note stating that the certificate(s) will be sent in as soon as possible.
You do not need to register if you:
(You do not need to register because your claim for Child Benefit, Carer's Allowance, Carer's Benefit or the Respite Care Grant is treated as an application to be registered as a homemaker. This information is noted automatically on your insurance record).
Department of Social Protection
McCarter's Road
Ardarvan
Buncrana
Donegal
Ireland
Tel:(01) 471 5898
Locall:1890 690 690
Homepage: http://www.welfare.ie