NWCI and Age Action call for pension reform

Published: Thursday, December 15, 2016

NWCI and Age Action came together to urge TDs to support a motion from Deputy John Brady calling for pension equality. 

While both organisations welcomed the €5 increase to weekly pension payments in Budget 2017, we also emphasised the need for significant pension reform. The financial crisis uncovered serious flaws in the Irish pension system but much of the debate has ignored the detrimental impact of the current system on women and retired workers forced onto the social welfare payment.

The motion’s proposal to reduce contributory thresholds was an important one, particularly since the gender pension gap has widened in recent years to 37%.  This inequality is directly related to women taking time out of paid work to care for children or family and losing the opportunity to build up enough PRSI contributions to qualify for a full contributory pension.

For women, one of the key concerns is not having access to pension entitlements in the first place. Women mainly rely on state pensions in their older years, but only 16 % of those receiving a full State Contributory Pension are women. We’re supporting this motion because it explicitly calls on the government to ensure that pension equality for women will be front and centre of pension reform.

You can read the full press release here.