Progress made on women’s pensions

HUGE progress has been made in negotiations with the Department of Social and Family Affairs and the Revenue on spouses’ partnerships as a means of providing women working on farms with a non-means-tested pension in their own right, the IFA disclosed yesterday.

Farm Family Committee chairwoman Mary Sherry said two key issues have been progressed. The criteria used in determining whether a farm partnership exists will be clear and transparent for the first time.

Secondly, spouses who were effectively farming in a partnership in the past but did not claim to be so when making their tax and PRSI returns will be eligible to claim partnership status retrospectively.