Pensions

Thousands of workers face lower state pensions after reforms

Minister says new 40-year total PRSI contributions regulation will save the national coffers €43 billion by 2070

Heather Humphreys, the Minister for Social Protection, has said that the phasing in of the new total contributions rule in January 2024 over a ten-year period will save €43 billion by 2070. Picture: Maxwells

Tens of thousands of workers are to get lower state pensions, due to the government’s decision to change the qualifying rules in order to save €43 billion.

The government will phase out the use of a system which allowed some workers to get a full state contributory pension if they had worked in Ireland for just ten years from the age of 55.

Instead it will assess each state pension application based on the total ...