Single public workers must fund scheme for spouses and children

PUBLIC service employees are being forced to pay thousands of euro into a scheme for widows and orphans, even if they have no intention of getting married or having children.

The workers in a range of public sector jobs must pay 1.75% of their pay into the spouses and children’s schemes.

One of the public sector employees in the Department of Justice yesterday told how she is paying €20 per week into the scheme and had been doing so for the last 16 years.