Cash-in-hand work threatens full state pension eligibility
Source: irishtimes.com
- A worker who did cash-in-hand jobs for years asks if they can still get the full state pension.
- Ireland requires 1,040 paid contributions over a career to qualify for the maximum weekly pension of €277.30.
- Undeclared cash work usually doesn't count as contributions, risking a lower pension unless records are fixed.
A reader writes to the Irish Times asking if years of cash-in-hand work means they won't qualify for the full state pension. The article explains Ireland's state pension rules, focusing on how contributions from undeclared jobs typically don't count. Money expert Conor Pope breaks down the requirements and steps to check or improve eligibility. It matters because many Irish workers rely on the state pension for retirement, and gaps in records from casual jobs could cut payments sharply.