Question 1

What does the Social Welfare (Bereaved Partner’s Pension and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025 do?

Accepted Answer

Expands bereaved partner pensions to include surviving qualified cohabitants (after 2+ years together with children or 5+ years without), implementing Supreme Court ruling that prior exclusion was unconstitutional. Renames widow/widower/civil partner pension schemes to 'bereaved partner' pensions across contributory, non-contributory, and parent grant programs; applies definitions consistently. Allows backdating of payments to 22 January 2024 (Supreme Court decision date) for cohabitant claims; protects existing entitlements of divorced/separated persons under saver clauses.

Question 2

What stage is the Social Welfare (Bereaved Partner’s Pension and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025 at?

Accepted Answer

As of 25 Jul 2025, the Social Welfare (Bereaved Partner’s Pension and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025 is at Enacted. Once a bill passes every stage in both Houses of the Oireachtas and is signed by the President, it becomes law.

Question 3

Who introduced the Social Welfare (Bereaved Partner’s Pension and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025?

Accepted Answer

The Social Welfare (Bereaved Partner’s Pension and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025 was sponsored by Minister for Social Protection, and was introduced on 13 Mar 2025.

Social Welfare (Bereaved Partner’s Pension and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025

What this bill doesAI · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001

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