Checklist: entitlements for older people

The pages below are to help you to check out all the main services and entitlements for older people.

Retiring from work: What you should know about retiring from work.

Early retirement: Entitlements to State payments of people who retire early, whether through redundancy or by choosing early retirement and the measures to take to retain entitlement to long-term pensions.

Occupational pensions: Occupational pensions are organised by employers to provide pensions to one or more employees on retirement. What are the rules about occupational pension schemes?

Personal pensions: Information on personal pensions for self-employed people or employed people who do not have an occupational pension.

Personal Retirement Savings Accounts (PRSAs): A Personal Retirement Savings Account (PRSA) is long-term personal retirement account designed to help you to save for retirement in a flexible way.

Working in retirement: The effects of working in retirement on social welfare benefits, entitlement to pensions and employee protective legislation.

Income supports for older people: Find out about payments for older people and see a broader checklist of schemes and benefits available.

State Pension (Contributory): From 1 January 2025, if you apply for the State Pension (Contributory), there is a new way of calculating your rate of payment.

Pro-rate pensions: You may get a pro-rata pension if you have a mixed insurance record, for example, if you worked in both the public service and private sector.

State Pension (Non-Contributory): The State Pension (Non-Contributory), previously called the Old Age Non-Contributory Pension, is a means-tested payment for people in Ireland aged 66 and over.

Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Contributory) Pension: A Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's contributory pension and related social welfare benefits may be payable if either the deceased person or their spouse/civil partner has enough PRSI contributions.

Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner’s (Non-Contributory) Pension: The Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner’s Non-Contributory Pension is payable to widowed people or surviving civil partners without dependent children who do not qualify for a contributory pension and who pass a means test.

Widowed or Surviving Civil Partner Grant: Outlines the rules, regulations and application procedure for the Widowed or Surviving Civil Partner Grant which is paid to people with dependent children.

Benefits and entitlements following a death: An overview of the different social welfare benefits available when someone dies.

Payments and supports for carers: An overview of the different payments and supports available for carers.

Carer’s Benefit: Carer's Benefit is a social insurance payment made to someone who gives up work or reduces their hours to care for person in need of full time care.

Carer’s Allowance: Carer's Allowance is a weekly social welfare payment to people who are caring for a person who needs support because of their age, disability or illness (including mental illness).

Carer's Support Grant: Carer's Support Grant is a cash payment to carers. It used to be called the Respite Care Grant.

Supplementary Welfare Allowance: Supplementary Welfare Allowance is a payment to people that have no income. Outlines the conditions for entitlement to basic Supplementary Welfare Allowance including the means test.

Additional Needs Payment: Additional Needs Payments are paid to people who have essential and exceptional needs that they cannot meet out of their weekly income. It can be paid for funeral costs and fuel bills. You must have a low income.

Free travel scheme: Everyone aged 66 and over living permanently in Ireland is entitled to travel free of charge on public transport. People under 66 on certain social welfare payments are also entitled to free travel. Find out more about free travel in Ireland and the Senior SmartPass which allows you to travel for free on public transport in Northern Ireland.

Household Benefits Package: The Household Benefits Package helps you with the costs of running your household. It includes electricity and gas allowances and a Free Television Licence. It is paid to people over 70 and to people under 70 in some circumstances.

Fuel Allowance: Fuel Allowance is a payment to help with the cost of heating your home during the winter months.

Living Alone Increase: The Living Alone Increase is a supplementary payment for people on social welfare pensions who are living alone.

Living on a specified Island Increase: If you are getting a certain social welfare payment and living on a specified island off the coast of Ireland, you can get an increase in your social welfare payment.

Diet and Heating Supplements: Additional weekly supplements for special diets and heating requirements are available under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance Scheme.

Telephone Support Allowance: An allowance for people on certain social welfare payments who are also getting both the Living Alone Increase and the Fuel Allowance. It aims to help those living alone with the cost of communications and/or home alert security systems.

Tax credits and reliefs for people over 65: There are some tax reliefs specifically for people aged over 65. This page also gives an overview of other tax reliefs that may be relevant.

Blind Person's Tax Credit: If you have certain visual impairments, you may claim a reduction in the amount of tax that you are required to pay. Information is also provided on the VAT refund scheme for aids and appliances.

Home Carer Tax Credit: If you are married or in a civil partnership and you care for a dependent person, you can apply for the Home Carer Tax Credit.

Dependent Relative Tax Credit: The Dependent Relative Tax Credit is a tax credit that parents/guardians and people caring for dependent relatives may qualify for.

Deeds of covenant: A deed of covenant is a legally binding agreement to pay an agreed amount to someone else without receiving any benefit in return.

Deposit Interest Retention Tax (DIRT): If you earn interest on savings, you pay a tax on the interest called Deposit Interest Retention Tax (DIRT). Information about DIRT, who pays it and exemptions and reliefs.

Medical expenses: You can claim tax relief on medical expenses that you pay for yourself or for someone else.

Employing a carer: Tax relief is available on the cost of employing a carer for either yourself or for another family member.

Tax relief on nursing home fees: Tax relief is available on fees paid for nursing homes and for dependent relatives. Information on tax credits and how to apply for tax relief.

Tax relief for drivers and passengers with disabilities: The Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers Scheme provides a range of tax reliefs for disabled drivers and disabled passengers.

VAT refunds on aids and appliances for people with disabilities: If you have a disability you can claim a refund of Value-Added Tax (VAT) on certain aids and appliances.

Income tax credits and reliefs following a death: An explanation of the tax credits that apply when someone dies and the tax reliefs for their spouse or civil partner.

Rent Supplement: If you are renting privately and having difficulty paying your rent, you may qualify for Rent Supplement. If you qualify for social housing support, you should apply for the Housing Assistance Payment instead.

Housing Assistance Payment (HAP): The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a social housing support provided by local authorities. Under the scheme, rent is paid directly to private landlords and you pay a weekly contribution to your local authority.

Rental Accommodation Scheme: The Rental Accommodation Scheme is run by local authorities for people getting Rent Supplement for more than 18 months.

Local authority housing: How to qualify for social housing support from a local authority or other provider.

Approved Housing Bodies: Approved housing bodies are independent, not-for-profit organisations that provide affordable rented housing for people who cannot afford to pay private sector rents or buy their own homes.

Housing for older people: Schemes and grants for housing and home improvements for older people.

Mobility Aids Grant Scheme: A grant to help with the cost of works to address mobility problems in the home.

Housing Aid for Older People Grant: Grants are available to improve the homes of older people so that they can stay in their own homes for as long as possible.

Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability: Grants for alterations that need to be made to a home to make it suitable for a person with a physical, sensory or intellectual disability or a mental health difficulty.

Free energy upgrades (Warmer Homes Scheme): This scheme provides free home energy upgrades to homeowners who get certain social welfare payments.

Individual home energy upgrade grants (Better Energy Homes): This scheme provides grants to help to increase the energy efficiency of homes, including grants for home insulation.

Senior Alerts Scheme: The Seniors Alert Scheme provides support to enable you to continue to live securely in your own home.

Medical cards: The medical card scheme entitles certain people to free public health services. This document explains the medical card and how to apply for it.

GP visit card: Unless you have a medical card or GP visit card, visits to family doctors are not free. What is a GP visit card and how can you apply?

Long-Term Illness Scheme: The scheme covers free drugs and medical appliances for the treatment of specific long term illnesses and conditions.

Drugs Payment Scheme: Under the Drugs Payment Scheme individuals or families only pay a maximum monthly amount for the prescribed drugs, medicines or appliances they use.

Hospital charges: Charges that patients may have to pay for out-patient and in-patient services in public hospitals. Also describes long stay charges.

Private health insurance: Introduction to private health insurance and the rules that apply to insurance providers.

Fair Deal Scheme: People who move into registered nursing homes may receive financial support from the HSE under the Nursing Homes Support Scheme, also known as the Fair Deal scheme.

Elder Abuse: Elder abuse is the abuse of someone aged 65 or over. Find out what it is and what help is available.

Public health nursing: Public health nurses are employed by Health Service Executive (HSE) Areas to provide a range of health care services in the community.

Social workers: Social work services are provided through the public health services. The Health Service Executive (HSE) is obliged to provide certain social work services. Find out more.

Occupational therapy services: Occupational therapy services in Ireland are designed to help people of all ages achieve the maximum degree of independence in ordinary living.

Physiotherapy services: Physiotherapy in Ireland is provided through the public health service, and also available privately.

Chiropody: Chiropodists/podiatrists assess, diagnose and treat diseases and abnormalities of the foot. Some Local Health Offices provide chiropody services to certain eligible people.

Dieticians: Dietitians are health professionals who give advice and information on all aspects of nutrition and diet.

Hearing services: Audiology services provided by the Health Service Executive (HSE) include hearing tests and hearing aids.

Sight tests and eye health: Optometric and ophthalmic health services provided through the public health service are free for certain people.

Dental services: The Health Service Executive (HSE) provides some free dental services to certain citizens.

Home Support Service: The Home Support Service helps older people to continue living in their own homes with some extra support.

Making a will: What is a will? The practical steps involved in making a will and what happens when someone dies without having made a will.

Enduring Power of Attorney: Power of attorney is a legal device in Ireland that can be set up by a person (the Donor) to allow another specially appointed person (the Attorney) to act on their behalf. An enduring power of attorney only takes effect when the donor becomes mentally incapacitated and no longer able to manage their own affairs.

Advance Healthcare Directives: An Advance Healthcare Directive in Ireland is a statement about the type and extent of medical or surgical treatment you want in the future, if you are not able to make that decision at the relevant time.

Legal arrangements for incapacity: If you need someone to act on your behalf, this page explains some of the arrangements available.

Types of decision support arrangements: Decision support arrangements are available to give the legal authority to someone to help you make decisions or make decisions on your behalf.