Rules
To be eligible for the Homemaker's Scheme, you must:
- Permanently live in the State
- Be aged under 66
- Have started insurable employment or self-employment on or after the age of 16 and before the age of 56
- Not work full-time, however, you can work and earn less than €38 gross per week
- Care for a child (under 12) or an incapacitated person on a full-time basis.
Before 14 March 2005, you must also have lived with the person you were caring for. Since 14 March 2005, if you are not living with this person:
- a direct system of communication must exist between your home and the person being cared for, for example by telephone or alarm system and
- the person being cared for must not already be getting full-time care and attention within their own home from anyone else.
The person being cared for must be so disabled or incapacitated as to need:
- Continuous supervision in order to avoid danger to himself or herself
Or
- Continuous supervision and frequent assistance throughout the day in connection with his or her normal personal needs.
If you were or became a Homemaker between 6 April 1994 and 5 April 1995 the child(ren) must have been under age 6. From 6 April 1995 and subsequent contribution years, the child(ren) must be under age 12. This age limit does not apply if the child(ren) is so ill or disabled as to need full-time care and attention.
It's important to note, that only one person can be regarded as the Homemaker at any one time. If you stop being a Homemaker and your spouse/partner takes up homemaking duties, you should notify the Department immediately to ensure there is no loss of entitlements under the Homemaker's scheme.
Homemaking years
A homemaking year is a year in which you are out of the workforce for the full tax year.
Up to a maximum of 20 homemaking years can be disregarded for State Pension (Contributory) purposes.
Homemaker's credits
"Homemaker's credits" are awarded up to the end of the contribution year during which someone becomes a homemaker. If the person ceases to be a homemaker during the contribution year, homemaker's credits are awarded up to that date.
How to apply
Registering as a Homemaker
You should register before the end of the contribution year after the year in which you first become a Homemaker. For example, if you become a Homemaker between 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2010, you should register before 31 December 2011.
Along with your Homemaker's registration form (pdf), you will need to provide:
- Your long birth certificate
- The long birth certificates of all the people you are caring for in your household.
Birth certificates for social welfare purposes are available from the General Registers Office or from your local Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages for €1. If you are unable to get the certificate(s) immediately, you should send in your claim with a note stating that the certificate(s) will be sent in as soon as possible.
You do not need to register if you:
(The reason you do not need to register is because your claim for Child Benefit, Carer's Allowance, Carer's Benefit or the Respite Care Grant will be treated as an application to be registered as a Homemaker. This information will be noted automatically on your insurance record).