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The National Women’s Council of Ireland (NWCI) has called on the Government to introduce a universal State pension and highlighted the issue of women working on farms who will not qualify for a full State pension under current rules.
According to the latest CSO figures, 71,700 (27%) of regular family workers on farms are female, yet “relatives assisting” in a family business cannot make PRSI contributions and are not entitled to the old age contributory pension or maternity benefit.
The NWCI is also concerned that many older women who were forced to stop working due to the marriage bar will not qualify for a means-tested State pension due to their husband’s farm assets.
“Many women have contacted us who are deeply upset that often they have no access to independent income in their older years or have a reduced benefit due to their invisible labour,” a spokesperson for the NWCI said.
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