The State Pension age is 66
The earliest you can start the State Pension (Contributory) is your 66th birthday. Ireland does not have an earlier "reduced pension" age for the contributory pension — 66 is the floor. Plans to raise the pension age to 67 and then 68 were scrapped in 2021, so 66 remains the standard age.
The pension does not start automatically. You have to apply for it, and you should do so a few months before you want it to begin — see how to claim the State Pension.
You can defer to 70 for a higher rate
Since January 2024 you no longer have to start at 66. You can choose any start date between your 66th and 70th birthday, and the later you begin, the higher your weekly payment for the rest of your life. You lock in your chosen start date when you apply.
Deferring can suit you if you are still working past 66, or if your PRSI record isn't yet strong enough for the full rate — every extra year of contributions can lift the amount you eventually receive. It won't suit everyone, though: starting later means missing out on the payments you could have drawn in the meantime, so it is worth weighing up your health, your other income, and how long you expect to claim.
If you stop working before 66
There can be a gap between finishing work and reaching pension age. A few things can bridge it and protect your future pension:
- Benefit Payment for 65-year-olds
- A payment for people who have left employment or self-employment at 65, designed to tide you over until the pension starts at 66. It is based on your PRSI record and does not require you to sign on or look for work.
- Keep your PRSI record going
- While you receive certain social welfare payments — including Jobseeker's payments — you are usually awarded credited contributions, which keep your record intact so your pension isn't reduced later.
- Voluntary contributions
- If you have stopped paying compulsory PRSI and aren't getting credits, you may be able to pay voluntary contributions to keep building towards the pension.
How your start date affects the amount
Two separate things decide your weekly figure: how many contributions you have built up by the time you claim, and — if you defer — the higher rate that applies for starting later. Because both can move with your chosen date, the clearest way to see the effect for your own record is to run the numbers.