Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Seamus Brennan, has said more people will be able to qualify for the non-contributory old-age pension under changes made in the Budget.
Mr Brennan said doubts about whether people who had saved in the SSIA schemes would lose their means-tested pension, had been dispelled.
The minister said the full pension would in future be paid to those with savings of up to €27,600, or double that figure for married couples.
He said the means test would apply regardless of whether the savings were in an SSIA scheme, a bank, post office or credit union.
