Farmers Urged to Review Their Health Insurance Annually
Ploughing the Pensions Furrow
PENSIONS BOARD TO ATTEND AT NATIONAL PLOUGHING CHAMPIONSHIPS
22ndSeptember 2005:The Pensions Board will be attending at the upcoming National Ploughing Championships in Mogeely, Co. Cork on the 27th, 28th and 29thSeptember to provide pensions information for visitors at this major event. The lowest levels of pensions coverageare in the Agri-sector, which makes building positive pensions awareness within this community a key target of the National Pensions Awareness Campaign.
The most recent pension coverage results issued by the CSO in September 2004 show current private pension coverage at 52.4% of the total at work aged 20-69. However, as you move out from the key urban centers, the pension coverage rate decreases and in some parts of rural Ireland it is as low as 45%.
Mary Hutch, Head of Information and Training, Pensions Board explains: “This rural urban discrepancy in pension coverage levels can be attributed in part to the increased levels of part-time, seasonal and contract working patterns especially among women. Also, there is a higher level of employment dependency on the hospitality, retail and farming sectors where traditionally pension coverage levels are low.”
The Pensions Board also places a strong emphasis on women, wherestatistics show that 53.2% of women are not covered by a private pension, compared to 43.7% of men without private pension cover, according the 2004 CSO pension coverage survey.
Women are also less likely to ‘top up’ their pension with Additional Voluntary Contributions.Fewer self-employed women have a personal pension than men. In the Agri-sector, female coverage dips even lower.
Women usually:
- Earn less than men
- Have a broken career pattern
- Are more likely to work part-time.
- Live longer than men
When compounded, these factors make women more vulnerable to poverty, especially in their later years. That can make for a longer but poorer retirement. This needs to be addressed if those living in rural areas are to ensure they have made adequate provision for their retirement.
The Pensions Board stand at the Ploughing Championships will be situated at the Business and Education Centre in the Dolmen Arcade.
The Pensions Board online calculator and pensions information is available on
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For further information please contact:
Mary Hutch
Head of Information and Training
The Pensions Board
Tel: (01) 6131900 /
Media Queries:
Q4 Public Relations 01-4751444
Jackie Gallagher087-237 1838
Mark Leech087-905 3679