Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 section 152

Interpretation

Section 152 provides key definitions used in the State Pension (Non-Contributory) chapter, covering the meaning of spouse, civil partner, and weekly means.

• A "spouse" includes a former spouse whose marriage ended in divorce, provided the divorce is recognised as valid in Ireland.
• A "civil partner" includes a former civil partner whose civil partnership has been dissolved, provided the dissolution is recognised as valid in Ireland.
• "Weekly means" is calculated by dividing the claimant's yearly means by 52, subject to the detailed assessment rules.
• The full rules for assessing means for this pension are contained in Schedule 3 Part 3.