You can get the State Pension (Contributory) from the age of 66 if you have enough social insurance (PRSI) contributions. It is sometimes called the old-age pension.
The State Pension (Contributory) is not means tested. You can get it even if you have other income, such as an occupational pension.
As the social insurance (PRSI) conditions are very complex, you should apply for a State Pension (Contributory) if you have ever worked in Ireland and have paid PRSI contributions (stamps) at any time.
If you retire early, make sure you continue paying PRSI contributions, or that you are getting credited contributions (if you are eligible). This can help you get a contributory pension when you reach pension age.
If you apply for your State Pension (Contributory) from 2025, there will be changes to how your pension is calculated. Read 'Changes to the State Pension (Contributory) 2025' below.
You must be at least 66 to qualify for a State pension.
If you retire at 65, you may qualify for a benefit payment until you reach 66.
You can also read our pages about early retirement, and retiring from work.
To qualify for a State Pension (Contributory), you must be aged 66 or over, and have enough Class A, E, F, G, H, N, or S social insurance contributions (PRSI). These are also called full-rate PRSI contributions.
You must meet 3 conditions, including:
To get a State Pension (Contributory) at 66, you must have started paying PRSI before the age of 56. If you are deferring your pension, you must have started paying PRSI at least 10 years before you drawdown your pension.
The date you first started paying PRSI is called your date of ‘entry into insurance’. Your date of entry into insurance is also important when you calculate your yearly average number of PRSI contributions – see ‘Yearly average or total number of contributions’ below.
Your ‘entry into insurance’ is the date of the first paid PRSI contribution made when you started your first job. However, this may not be the case if you either:
There are special rules if you have mix of full-rate PRSI contributions and modified-rate contributions. Modified-rate social insurance contributions are PRSI contributions at Classes B, C and D (paid by civil and public servants).
If you have mixed PRSI contributions and you paid your first full-rate employment contribution before 6 April 1991 and before you were 56, your entry into insurance can be the date you first started paying the full rate of PRSI, if that would be to your advantage.
If you started to pay full-rate PRSI after 6 April 1991, your entry into insurance is the date you first paid any social insurance.
There are special rules on entry into insurance for self-employed people. PRSI for self-employed people was introduced on 6 April 1988. If you started paying self-employed PRSI on 6 April 1988 and had previously paid employee PRSI at any time, then your date of entry into insurance can be either 6 April 1988, or the date when you first paid employee PRSI, whichever would give you a higher rate of pension.
If you started paying self-employed PRSI after 6 April 1988, your date of entry into insurance will be the date your first contribution was paid.
The number of paid PRSI contributions you need for the State Pension (Contributory) depends on your retirement date.
If you reach pension age on or after 6 April 2012, you need to have 520 full-rate PRSI contributions (10 years’ contributions).
If you reached pension age between 6 April 2002 and 5 April 2012, you needed to have 260 full-rate contributions (5 years’ contributions).
If you reached pension age before 6 April 2002, you needed 156 qualifying full-rate paid contributions (3 years’ contributions).
If you have a MyGovID account, you can request a copy of your contribution statement through MyWelfare.ie. To do this, you need your PPS (Personal Public Service) number.
Your contribution statement shows:
The DSP will calculate your PRSI contributions differently, depending on whether you reached pension age before, or after, 1 September 2012.
If you reached pension age before 1 September 2012, you must have a yearly average number of PRSI contributions (paid or credited contributions) from the year you first started paying PRSI, to the end of the tax year before you reach pension age.
This is probably the most complex aspect of qualifying for a State Pension (Contributory). There is the ‘normal average rule’ and the ‘alternative average rule’.
The normal average rule states that you must have a yearly average of at least 10 qualifying contributions paid or credited, from the year you first entered insurance, to the end of the tax year before you reach pension age.
You need an average of 10 contributions a year to get a minimum pension, and you need an average of 48 a year to get the maximum pension.
Your yearly average will be rounded to the nearest number. For example, 9.4 is rounded down to 9 and 47.5 is rounded up to 48.
The ‘alternative average rule’ says you must have an average of 48 Class A, E, F, G, H, N or S contributions (paid or credited) for each contribution year. This rule applies from the 1979-1980 tax year to the end of the tax year before you reach pension age.
If you have this average of 48 contributions, you are entitled to the maximum pension. You cannot get a reduced pension when this alternative average is used.
The DSP assesses your pension application using both the normal average and the alternative average.
The alternative average will probably be looked at first because it is easier to assess. Most employed or formerly employed people will be able to meet the alternative average rule of 48 contributions.
If you do not have an average of 48 contributions from 1979, then the DSP will assess your application using the normal average rule. You may get a reduced pension. If you do not meet the alternative average, it is almost impossible for you to have an average of 48 using the normal average rule.
The DSP can ‘disregard’ (not take into account) up to 20 years spent as a homemaker when calculating your yearly average. This Homemakers’ Scheme can only be used when calculating your yearly average number of contributions. See ‘Carers and the State Pension (Contributory)’ below.
If you reach pension age on or after 1 September 2012, you can be assessed using either the average rules (see above) or the Total Contributions Approach (TCA).
The Total Contributions Approach, also known as the Aggregated Contributions Method, does not use a yearly average to calculate the rate of pension. Instead, the rate is based on the total number of contributions you have paid before you reach the age of 66 or the age you defer your pension to.
Using the TCA, you will qualify for the maximum personal rate of State Pension (Contributory) if you have 2,080 or more PRSI contributions (or 40 years’ of employment).
The TCA calculation includes the HomeCaring Periods Scheme and Long-Term Carers Contributions, which can help you to either qualify for the SPC, or get a higher rate. See ‘Carers and the State Pension (Contributory)’ below.
You can also have up to 10 years credited contributions used as part of your pension calculation. However, your combined HomeCaring Periods and credited contributions cannot total more than 1,040 (20 years).
If your combined total of paid contributions, HomeCaring Period and credited contributions is less than 2,080, you will qualify for a reduced rate of pension.
For example, a combined total of 1,040 paid contributions, made up of HomeCaring Period and credited contributions, would entitle you to 50% of the maximum pension (1,040 / 2,080 = 50%).
If you were a homemaker or took time out of work to care for someone, you may be entitled to pension caring supports. Depending on your circumstances, you can use these supports to qualify for a State Pension (Contributory), or to get a higher rate of State Pension (Contributory).
There are 3 pension caring supports:
You can use Long-term Carers Contributions and HomeCaring Periods Scheme together, as long as the periods of care don’t overlap.
You don’t need to apply for each scheme separately. You only need to fill in one application form, called the PCS1 form. This form is not available to download, but you can ask the Pension Caring Supports Section of the DSP to send you a form by post (see contact details below).
If you are over 66 and already get a pension, but you think you may be entitled to pension caring supports, you can ask to have your pension reviewed. See contact details below:
Department of Social Protection
McCarter’s Road,
Buncrana,
Co. Donegal,
F93 CH79
The table below shows the State Pension (Contributory) rates in 2024 for people who qualified after 1 September 2012. These rates only apply if you claim your SPC at 66. If you defer claiming your pension, you will get different rates.
State Pension (Contributory) rates in 2024 for people who qualified after 1 September 2012
Yearly average PRSI contributions
Personal rate per week
Increase for a qualified adult* (under 66)
Increase for a qualified adult* (over 66)