Thank you Early Riser, yes i have 40yrs of prsi contributions , working since 18yrs of age, i will ask justice pensions if they have a form that i can get completed by SW, ( but i get a feeling this is new to our organisation) and as a garda does 30yrs service for full pension, and so in 2025 ie 30yrs from 1995 this will probably then be addressed.You will certainly have to get confirmation from Social Welfare that you are not entitled to any Benefit from them. I don't know anyone who has done this but in theory if you were to declare to SW that you are no longer looking for work and, as a consequence you are disqualified from the JB payment, then you should be able to claim your Supplementary Pension. The condition is that you you are not entitled to any SW Benefit.
As I say, I can't testify that this works but I can't see why not in principle. You will no longer get any PRSI credits from SW if you do this. This may have implications for your State Pension if you do not have 40 years worth of PRSI. If you remain on JB you can continue to "sign" for credits (once a year) even after your JB ends.
As an aside, most organisations have a form that they ask you to get completed by SW rather than you getting a letter from SW.
The advice i got was We know about the situation and it will be discussed at our next conference!I find it bizarre that the Garda/GRA don't have specific advice for these situations - is there no pre-retirement course for Garda?
I have seen this booklet before but the points highlighted are not what is happening in real life, i know people that contributed to that booklet but my understanding is that it is not an agreed document with Justice@stoves1
Have you contacted your Representative Association for advice? Here is an extract from the GRA pension guidance document (https://www.gra.ie/documents/GRA-Pensions-Booklet-Jul17-red.pdf) :
3.8.15 Post-95 Gardaí : Supplementary Pension & Not Available for Work
Question: I have retired from An Garda Siochána. Do I have to make myself
available for work in order to receive a Supplementary Pension?
Answer: No. You do require a letter from DSP stating that you are not entitled
to social welfare benefits. Justice will then pay you a supplementary
pension
Question: What happens if I declare that I am not available for work? Do I lose
my Supplementary Pension/Allowance?
Answer: No. You do require a letter from DSP stating that you are not entitled
to social welfare benefits. Justice will then pay you a supplementary
pension
As noted earlier, organisations usually have a Supplementary Pension questionnaire that they require you to have completed and stamped by SW, but maybe Justice is different.
Yes i do understand that if i take up employment i lose Supplementary, I just want to enjoy life with my full pension considering i also paid into it over my careerOne of the things to remember about this ridiculous situation is that supplementary pensions are dependent on you not working.
You say you have no interest in working, which is just as well. If you do one week of paid, prsi salaried work, you lose the entire supplementary element of your pension.
So, just keep that in mind when you do eventually, get your entitlements.
I'd be very grateful if you update your progress.
Hope you have a very enjoyable retirement.
No doubt there will be increasing numbers impacted in the coming years. But there will have been quite a few already. There were some branches of PS with Class A PRSI coordinated pensions since well before 1995. And even since then, there will be those with short service. For some of these it will suit to go the JSB route anyway as the payment will exceed the Supplementary for those with relatively short service. Also, many will need to add to their PRSI record for State Pension purposes and the credited contributions will suit.Give it a few years and as large numbers of post 1995 people reach retirement age, the current apathetic approach will change to a reactive approach.
The best way to approach this is to play along with the system. I fully understand your frustration, but try to put this aside. The staff in the intreo centers are friendly and helpful and are required to go through the official procedure. Treat them in a friendly and respectful manner and you will be fine. They will understand your position but they cannot tell you that you do not have to be available for and actively seeking work. Tell them what they want to hear. Don't state that you you just want to retire in peace.i have to attend an individual activation meeting in 2 weeks time,
Thank you bstop for your kind words, my wife says the exact same, and of course i will treat the staff with courtesy as i know they are trying to do their job, but i really do want to retire in peace, i just got another message today from Intreo to say the activation meeting is cancelled and they will be in touch with another date! Just not used to dealing with beurocracy!The best way to approach this is to play along with the system. I fully understand your frustration, but try to put this aside. The staff in the intreo centers are friendly and helpful and are required to go through the official procedure. Treat them in a friendly and respectful manner and you will be fine. They will understand your position but they cannot tell you that you do not have to be available for and actively seeking work. Tell them what they want to hear. Don't state that you you just want to retire in peace.
The activation meeting is a box that the intreo staff need to tick.
Update: having made political representation recieved the following from welfare "As MR/Mrs --- very specific circumstances fall between his compulsory retirement age and the requirement for him to exhaust his social welfare benefit before he recieves his full pension, the Area Manager responsible has asked the office concerned, to exclude Mr/Mrs --- from compulsory engagement"Have you contacted your union, or do you guys belong to one? I'd be certainly pushing them if they exist. Surely you're not the only one in this dilemma?
One of the things to remember about this ridiculous situation is that supplementary pensions are dependent on you not working.
You say you have no interest in working, which is just as well. If you do one week of paid, prsi salaried work, you lose the entire supplementary element of your pension.
So, just keep that in mind when you do eventually, get your entitlements.
I'd be very grateful if you update your progress.
Hope you have a very enjoyable retirement.
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