It's counted in weeks
Your State pension at 66 depends on how many weeks of PRSI are on your record: weeks you paid while working, plus credited weeks, like the ones you get on Maternity Benefit.
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Ten years to get any
You need at least 520 paid weeks, about 10 years of work, before you qualify for the State Pension (Contributory) at all. Credited weeks help with the amount once you're in.
Lullagram · lullagram.ie/moneyForty years for the full rate
The full rate needs 2,080 weeks, about 40 years. In 2026 that's €299.30 a week, and Budget 2027 adds €10 from January. Fewer weeks means a smaller pension, worked out in proportion.
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You can start it any time from 66 to 70, and it's higher if you wait. Starting at 67 instead of 66 pays €313.40 a week at today's rates, for life.
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Request a Contribution Statement on MyWelfare.ie with your MyGovID. It shows your paid and credited weeks up to the end of last year, so you can spot a gap while it can still be fixed.
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Your family's money dates, in Lullagram.
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Sources, checked 27 October 2026: Citizens Information, MyWelfare. General information, not financial advice; it doesn't know your circumstances. Lullagram Limited isn't authorised by the Central Bank of Ireland to give financial advice, so for a decision about your own money, talk to a regulated adviser.