My wife worked full time as an employee from around 2000 to 2012.
She was then a full time mother 2012 to 2018.
She then had some self employed income from 2018 onwards and paid the minimum €500 per year PRSI contribution in her tax return.
As long as she keep paying the PRSI contribution will she be entitled to the full state pension?
I think she will be?
Interestingly, the Homemaker credits are supposed to be automatic for the parent that receives Child Benefit.
So, typically, a stay at home Dad has to apply where the child benefit is being paid to the mother.
Note, I said 'supposed to'. No doubt it doesn't always work, and it probably wasn't always the case that it auto applied. I'm pretty sure when my mam applied for her pension she had to complete a form for it, but it was very straight forward.
Got the Contribution Statement and it looks in order after we spoke to someone in the Dept of Social Protection about it.
They did say the homemaker credits are assigned to the person receiving the child benefit so when applying for the pension that is figured out.
I forgot that my wife was on illness benefit and then jobseekers benefit and those both give 52 weeks credits on the statement.
And the self employed PRSI payment (4% of income or min €500) has also given the full 52 week credits.
So all looks to be correct.