SOCIAL Protection Minister Dara Calleary will today bring forward a plan to change welfare rules so that people can receive the ‘widow’s pension’ even if they are not married.
It follows a Supreme Court decision last year that ruled widower John O’Meara can avail of the pension payment after his long term partner passed away in 2021.
The dad-of-three took a legal case against the State after he was denied the widower’s pension because he and his partner of 20 years Michelle Batey never married.
The landmark court case has forced the Government to bring forward changes to the law to ensure that people can avail of the ‘widow’s pension’ even if they are not married.
New Social Protection Minister Dara Calleary will today seek the Cabinet’s approval to present the Social Welfare (Bereaved Partner’s Pension) Bill 2025 to the Dail.
This will give legislative backing to extending the Widow’s, Widower’s or Surviving Civil Partner Contributory Pension to “surviving qualified cohabitant.”
Under the change, a partner would qualify to people who are in “an intimate and committed relationship” for two years where there is a child involved or five years where a couple has no children.
The ‘Widow’s Pension’ will now be renamed the Bereaved Partner’s Contributory Pension and will open up to newly qualified people after the new legislation is enacted.
It is expected that changes will see hundreds more people become eligible for the pension payment with the expected annual cost to the State of around €50 million.
The payment is currently worth €244 per week.
It comes days after Public Expenditure Minister Jack Chambers told the Irish Sun that the Government is planning to move away from energy credits but will help households cope with rising electricity prices through social welfare boosts and tax cuts.
He said: “We have said we’re going to move away from one off temporary measures.
“I think when we’re making decisions we have to consider them in the context of the overall fiscal parameters that we’ve set out.
“And in that context, there are lots of ways we can support families in the context of fuel poverty or higher energy bills and that will be considered in the round in addition to the overall capital investment in our energy system some of which will be central to the National Development Plan process that will help mitigate some of the otherwise increasing costs as part of any increase in energy bills.”
IRELAND FACING EUROPE’S HIGHEST BILLS
A new National Development Plan will be published later this year which will set out how the €14bn from the Apple tax case will be spent with priority areas including energy infrastructure, housing, water and transport.
Minister Chambers believes that major State investment in the energy grid will help prevent households being forced to pay higher prices to foot the bill for the improvements that are needed to our energy infrastructure.
He said that the Government will also consider easing the burden on households through welfare increases and tax cuts in upcoming budgets.
Speaking at the launch of the National Lottery’s Good Causes Awards, he said: “I recognise that households face some of the highest bills in Europe and we need to consider that in the context of the budget…
“What we have committed to as a government is going back to a more regular budgetary environment where we set out the fiscal parameters and make decisions and prioritise interventions and supports and measures for families and workers in that context whether that’s through taxation or social protection.
“And they are decisions that government will have to consider closer to budget time.”
