Spouse’s means in old-age pension assessments
Fitzpatrick asked whether spouse’s means would be excluded from non-contributory pension assessments after the Murphy decision. Woods had no amendment proposals yet and was examining the ruling; he clarified that separation was not the issue raised.
(Cavan-Monaghan) asked the Minister for Social Welfare the proposals, if any, to amend the regulations relating to non-contributory old age pensions to exclude the means of a spouse when assessing the means of an applicant in view of the recent Supreme Court decision in the Murphy case.
Comment on this
I have no proposals at present for the amendment of old age pensions legislation but I am having the implications of the decision referred to by the Deputy examined.
Comment on this
No. That is not the question raised by the Deputy. It relates to the question of taking the means of a spouse when assessing the means of an applicant. The question was to ask the Minister for Social Welfare the proposals, if any, to amend the regulations relating to non-contributory old age pensions to exclude the means of the spouse when assessing the means of an applicant in view of the recent Supreme Court decision.