You may have read or heard in the media that the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation,, Mr Jack Chambers, TD, issued a Press Release about possible errors in respect of civil service pensions – errors that may have resulted in pension underpayments or overpayments by the NSSO.
The RCPSA had no prior notice of this and will endeavour to get more information so that we can pass it on to members.
According to the Press Release, there are three cohorts impacted by these errors
– some work-sharing civil service retirees who were in receipt of allowances prior to retirement
– most members of the current Government, Ministers of State, some members of previous Governments and recent office holders
– some retired senior civil servants
According to the Press Release, a significant number of civil service pensioners could be affected. However, from the information available to date, the majority of civil and public service pensioners should not be affected.
The text of Minister Chambers’s Press Release is posted below. It can also be accessed on the Government website at https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-public-expenditure-infrastructure-public-service-reform-and-digitalisation/press-releases/nsso-statement-by-minister-chambers/.
The NSSO has posted a Customer Notice and a Statement on its website. The text of both is also posted below. They can also be accessed on the NSSO website (www.nsso.gov.ie) under News.
The RCPSA will be striving to ensure that any underpayments to pensioners are repaid without delay and that no recovery of pension overpayments would take place without consultation and agreement with each pensioner affected. The 2018 Circular which deals with the recovery of overpayments is posted below for information.