The Contributory Pension Scheme for Spouses and Children is a scheme which provides pensions for the spouse and/or dependent children of an officer, or the dependent marital children of an officer who dies in service, or after qualifying for pension.
There are two Contributory Spouses and Children’s Pension Schemes: The Original Scheme and the Revised Scheme. During 1985, an option of joining the Revised Scheme, or of retaining their membership of the Original Scheme, was made available to officers.
The Original Scheme provides pensions for the spouse and/or the dependent children of an officer who dies in service, or after qualifying for pension. It does not provide pensions for the spouses of marriages occurring after retirement, or for the children resulting from such marriages.
The Revised Scheme provides pension benefits for the spouse and children of the officer and, unlike the Original Scheme, includes provision for the spouse of an officer who marries after retirement, for the children of an officer who are born from such marriages and for non-marital children.
If you are unsure whether you are covered for Spouses’ and Children’s benefits or which Scheme you may be a member of, then you should check with Pensions Administration, Finance Section, Department of Defence.
An ARCOIreland Information Brief on the scheme is available HERE and provides details of the two schemes in a format that is easy to understand. The brief also contains contact information for those wishing to make enquiries, along with details of the Appeal Mechanism for those who have been deemed by the Department of Defence as not qualifying for a pension.
