Transfer of Entitlements
from UK
Q. What benefits/pensions WILL
TRANSFER with me if I do move to Ireland
permanently?
A.
- Retirement Pension (whether State, Works or
Private)
- Bereavement Allowance (formerly known as Widow's
Pension)
- Widowed Parent's Allowance (formerly known as Widowed
Mother's Allowance)
- Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
- Winter Fuel Allowance - If you get it in Britain it
will transfer with you although you may need to remind
them if it does not come to you automatically
Note!
For those based in the UK further information on
transferring any of the above to Ireland can be obtained
from :
The Pensions and Overseas Benefits Directorate
Department of Social Security
Tyneview Park
Benton, Newcastle Upon Tyne
NE98 1BA. (Tel: 0191 218 7777)
www.dwp.gov.uk
Important - It often takes a number of weeks to
sort out the transfer of pensions.
Q. What benefits/pensions WILL
NOT TRANSFER with me if I move to Ireland
permanently?
A.
- Invalid Care Allowance
- Pension Credit 'top-up' payment
- Income Support
- Housing Benefit (Note! - if coming to rented
property, you will have to pay rent in Ireland.)
- Council Tax Benefit
- Disability Living Allowance awarded after 1/6/92
- Severe Disablement Allowance awarded after 1/April
2001
- Working Families' Tax Credit
- Disabled Person's Tax Credit.
Incapacity Benefit will not usually transfer – guidelines
are vague so you will need to check this one especially if you were
awarded the payment after 1/April/2001
- Child Benefit - Guardian's Allowance
Q. Are there conditions attached
to the transfer of some benefits?
A. Yes - as outlined below:
Severe Disablement Allowance will not transfer
unless you were getting it before April 2001. If you were
getting it before that date it may transfer. Do not take it
for granted - check at your payment office.
Incapacity Benefit - will not transfer although if you
were receiving it prior to April 2001 the information says that you
will usually continue to receive it. However, this is vague so anyone
receiving this benefit since before April 2001 will need to get their
position clarified on an individual basis – check with your local
office
Disability Living Allowance
Background
In pre 1992 Britain there were two separate benefit
payments for:
Mobility Allowance and Attendance Allowance.
In 1992 both payments were amalgamated to form Disability
Living Allowance. DLA incorporates both a Mobility and a
Care Allowance. Prior to 1992 these were contributions based
benefits.
- There are two rates of Mobility - Higher and
Lower
- There are three rates of Care - Higher, Middle and
Lower
Important Date - On 1st June 1992 DLA became a
'Special Non-contributory Benefit' for the purposes of
European Community Law. These benefits are payable only in,
and at the expense of, the country of habitual residence and
that means that while you are living in the country that
gave you the benefit you can continue to receive it but when
you leave that country the benefit ends.
Anyone awarded DLA after 1st June 1992 cannot transfer
this benefit if even they are moving to another EU country.
If someone was in receipt of DLA before 1992 (it was then
Mobility Allowance and/or Attendance Allowance) they may be
able to bring it to Ireland with them but a number of
conditions apply that are very vague so anyone in this
position must check with:
The Disabilities Benefits Unit
Warbreck House
Warbreck Hill Road
Blackpool FY2 OYE.
Please do not take it for granted that it will transfer
without written confirmation.
Note! – If you
cannot get a definite decision about whether or not any of the above
payments will transfer or not it may be best to work on the assumption
that they will not. If you later find out they do transfer – this
will be a nice surprise!
Q. What are the General Guidelines on Transferring pensions and benefits?
Many returning emigrants ask do they have to transfer their pensions to Irish banks when they come to live in Ireland?
A. It might be easier if you have transferred your
pension/s to an account here in Ireland where the money will be shown
in Euro (€) and be simpler for officials to calculate your
financial position and decide what, if anything, you are eligible for.
You can keep your bank account abroad and continue to have your
pension/s paid into it if you want to, but it may cause you difficulty
when dealing with Irish officials.
The really important consideration as far as Ireland is concerned is
are you going to owe them any tax when you are living in the country
permanently? We contacted the Irish Revenue for the legal situation and
this is what they say:
Tax Matters
Q. I am resident in Ireland and in receipt of a pension from the UK. Is this taxable in Ireland or in the UK?
A. Any UK pensions received by an Irish resident, whether occupational or social welfare, are only taxable in Ireland.
Explanation: If you are an Irish citizen and did not take out British
nationality then your pension is taxable in Ireland once you are
resident here. If you did take out British nationality and gave up your
Irish nationality then your pension will continue to be taxed by
Britain and not Ireland, when you move here. If you took British
nationality and kept your Irish nationality then you hold ‘dual
nationality’ your pension will be taxable in Ireland but you
should contact the UK Tax Authority to confirm this because there may
be some exceptions to the rule. You must notify the local Tax office
(where you move to in Ireland) that you are now living here permanently
and they will assess you for income for tax. Please check the question
of dual nationality with them if this is your situation.
If you only have the British State pension you will probably not be
paying any tax. If you have a Works Pension as well as the State
pension then you might have to pay tax. If you are paying tax on your
pension (where you are living) at the moment, then you may have to tax
to pay here.
In all cases you must notify the local Irish Tax office of your
permanent residency here. Not to do so is breaking the law. You should
also notify the Tax Authority in the country you are leaving.
A word of advice:
Tax matters are very personal so can be different depending on
someone’s individual circumstances. The information in this
leaflet is intended as a general guide for older people returning to
Ireland, in receipt of pensions from abroad. We advise everyone to
contact the Tax Authorities in the country they are leaving and local
Tax office on arrival in Ireland to clarify his or her individual
situation.
Q. It looks like none of my benefits are going to transfer with me. How will I manage when I return to Ireland?
A. You will not be left penniless if you arrive in
Ireland with little/ no income because benefits you were receiving
cease when you leave the country. Where there is a delay with transfer
of benefits or assessing your claim for a benefit/pension in Ireland,
an application can be made for Supplementary Welfare Allowance. This is
a strictly means tested ‘tide you over’ short-term payment
and is repayable once your claim or pension transfer are sorted out.
Anyone arriving in Ireland aged 66 or over with (after conversion to
euro) an income of less than State Pension (Non-Contributory) in
Ireland will have their income ‘topped up’ by the Irish
State to this level. Any ‘top up’ payment is means tested
and will fluctuate because the exchange rate from sterling to euro
changes quite frequently.
The benefit system operating in Ireland is for the most part contribution based.
Where there are insufficient contributions or no contributions anyone
under 66 will be assessed for means tested pre-retirement payments.
Someone caring for an invalid full time may be entitled to apply for a
Carer’s Allowance. This payment also includes an annual Respite
Grant. Carer’s Allowance is a strictly means tested payment so
any British pension being received may put an applicant over the limit
for this benefit.
Note! - For current rates of payment of pensions/benefits in Ireland, please see attached Budget up-date
Q. How far does the Euro go in terms of cost of living?
A. Cost of living: Ireland is the most expensive
country in the Euro zone in which to live. The cost of living in
Ireland is substantially higher than in the UK in terms of food,
electricity, clothing, footwear and fuel. We do not know how it
compares with countries other than the UK but expect it is higher than
all of them. A rough guide to the price of food is to add one third to
what you are paying in Britain. Also remember that if you re-locate to
a rural area you may not have a choice of several supermarkets (less
competition often means higher prices) and you may not be near to any
‘cut price’ store.
Q. What additional benefits could I qualify for on my return to Ireland?
A. Details outlined below
Household Benefits Package consists of :
Allowance 1 – Electricity Allowance or Natural Gas Allowance or
Electricity (Group Account) Allowance or Bottled Gas Refill Allowance.
Allowance 2 – Telephone Allowance – which covers mainly line/equipment rental
Allowance 3 – Free Television licence
You will qualify if: You are 70 years or older Or
Are in receipt of a Carer’s Allowance
Receive a qualifying payment from the Department of Social and Family
Affairs in Ireland (or an equivalent Social Security Pension/Benefit
from an EU country) And
Live alone or only with certain excepted persons (Your spouse or partner) if you are receiving an allowance for him or her
A person who would qualify for the allowance in his/her own right e.g. a person getting a State Pension
A person who is providing you, or someone in your household, with
constant care and attention, if you or that person is so incapacitated
as to require constant care and attention for at least 12 months
– (medical certification may be retired.)
Or
You are aged between 66 and 69, satisfy a means test and permanently
living (all year round) at the address from which you apply. You must
also be a registered consumer of electricity/ Natural Gas and the
registered telephone account holder if you are applying for a Telephone
Allowance.
Free Travel
Anyone getting a Free Travel Pass must live in the State on an all round year basis.
The scheme gives Free Travel to all people over 66 years of age or
someone receiving a qualifying payment from the Department of Social
& Family Affairs in Ireland (or equivalent Social Security
Pension/Benefit from an EU country)
Living Alone Allowance
You need to be aged 66+, living alone and in receipt of a pension or
qualifying payment from Department of Social & Family Affairs in
Ireland. People on pensions from another EU country will not qualify
unless they also in receipt of an Irish social welfare pension.
National Fuel Scheme
This is a means tested weekly payment operating for 29 weeks of the year from October to late April.
You may qualify if you are dependent on long -term social welfare or HSE (Health Service Executive).
Q. I’m a disabled driver, how will I fare out if I return to Ireland permanently?
A. Benefits for the Disabled Driver
According to the Disabled drivers Association if you buy a car, as a
disabled person, you pay the full cost of the car but are excused from
paying VAT/Vehicle Registration Tax. Motor Tax is free to disabled
drivers but insurance costs for disabled drivers in Ireland are very
high. Disabled drivers are entitled to a % off the excise duty on
petrol but applying for this is very difficult and may take months to
process. The driver must keep all petrol receipts and send them off
every three months to the Revenue Commissioners for a rebate on the
excise duty paid. (Address for information – Disabled Drivers
Association, Ballindine, Co Mayo -Tel: 00353 94 9364266)If someone
returning to Ireland has the European blue badge this gives them the
same facilities as they get in their current country of residence
except they may not park on single or double yellow lines
One of the first things you should do when you arrive in Ireland is
register for your PPS Number (this is the equivalent of your National
Insurance/Social Security Number).
(Please Note: Some people may already have this number particularly if
you are they are in receipt of a part Irish pension or if they worked
in Ireland after 1979. Your PPS is made up of 7 numbers and ends in a
letter – example: 4567891W)
To apply for a PPS Number:
Go to the local social welfare office in the area you have returned to
and they will give you the necessary form to complete. You will need to
take the following documentation with you:
- Long form Birth Cert
- Photo I.D.
- Proof of residency in Ireland
It usually takes about 7 days to process the application for a
PPS number or sometimes you can apply for it quicker via the Community
Welfare Officer.
Community Welfare Officer
Another important visit to put high on your list is a visit to the
Community Welfare Officer. Each small town or village has an officer
who calls to some location (like a community centre) at least once a
week. You should take all your paper work with you as he/she will
assist you in relation to transfer of benefits. It is important that
you bring all your information – bank statements etc as this will
be required if for example you need to avail of Supplementary Welfare
or assistance with your rent through Rent Allowance. Both are means
tested payments and your income will need to be assessed.
Note! – It is
important to note that Community Welfare Officers usually only attend
their ‘clinics’ once a week. So depending on when you
arrive in Ireland – you may have a wait before you get to see
them and you will have another wait if you do not have all the
paperwork they require. This could put pressure on your finances
Q. Can you please tell me about Health Care in Ireland – will I qualify for a medical card?
(A) Anyone over 70 years will get a medical card regardless of income
but if their spouse is under 70 he or she will be means tested.
If the British or EU State/Works Pension is your only income and you
are not employed or self employed on your return to Ireland, then you
will get a medical card under EU regulations. However, if receive any
part Irish pension you will be means tested on the whole amount and may
not get one particularly if the sterling exchange rate is strong
against the Euro.
(B) Anyone (in your immediate family group – that means you, your
spouse or dependent offspring or dependent relative living with you)
suffering from Mental handicap, Phenylketonuria, Cystic fibrosis,
Haemophililia, Cerebral palsy, Epilepsy, Diabetes mellitus, Diabetes
insipidus, Multiple scerosis, Muscular dystrophy, Parkinson’s
disease, Acute leukaemia, Spina bifida and hydrocephalus can apply to
go onto the Long Term Illness Scheme which will allow them to obtain
necessary drugs and medicines for the treatment of that condition free
of charge. This applies to any one returning to live in Ireland
regardless of where they were living before returning home. (You apply
to the local Health Service Office)
(C) Anyone (in your immediate family group - that means you, your
spouse or a dependent offspring or dependent relative living with you)
needing regular prescriptions for an ongoing illness can apply to be
part of the Drugs Payment Scheme which means that an individual or
family will only have to pay a specific amount per month for all
approved prescribed drugs, medicines and appliances for use by that
person or his/her family in that month. Anything spend over the sum
allowed can be reclaimed. This applies to any one returning to live in
Ireland regardless of where they were living before returning home.
(You apply to the local Health Service Office)
If you currently hold private medical insurance contact your provider
to check whether or not you will be covered in Ireland and/or can you
transfer your cover here.
Breathing space - You can use your British Medical card for 3 months after arriving permanently to live in Ireland.
Where you do not qualify for a ‘full’ Medical Card:
Even if you do not qualify for a ‘full’ medical card under
the means test, you may still qualify for a G.P Visit Only Card, as the
allowable income guidelines for this card are set at a higher rate.
If you do not get a ‘full’ Medical Card or a G.P Visit Card
- you will pay to see the doctor (fees can range from €45 and
up-wards depending on where in the country you are), any medicines
prescribed - very expensive in Ireland and there is a fee if you go to
casualty without being referred by your GP (regardless of whether you
have a medical card or not). If you are hospitalised in a public ward
there is a fee involved subject to a maximum level per year. In cases
of severe hardship you can appeal to the Local Health Service Office.
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