THE former education minister Caitríona Ruane received an increase of more than £800 per year in her pension entitlement in the period from when she stepped down as an MLA for South Down until she resigned as principal deputy speaker.
The increase was confirmed following a written Assembly question by TUV leader and North Antrim MLA Jim Allister.
In response, the Assembly Commission said: "The increase in pension entitlement in respect of the principal deputy speaker from the date of ceasing to be a member until the date of resignation was £812.77."
The Commission also revealed that Ms Ruane received a total salary of £40,637.63 in the same period. Just over £5,000 was also paid in national insurance contributions and almost £6,000 in pension contributions.
Ms Ruane, who did not stand for re-election in March, faced criticism last year after it was revealed that she was still being paid for her speaker's role.
The former Sinn Féin MLA resigned from her £55,000-a-year post as principal deputy speaker in October, saying she never anticipated that the election of new speakers would take so long.
She also said her earnings had been donated to a range of charities, but has not responded to requests to outline which charities benefited from the donations.
In addition, a resettlement payment of £24,500 was paid to Ms Ruane in June.
Sinn Féin has said it had received no donations from Ms Ruane and "any arrangements she may have come to with the assembly were her own affair".
Mr Allister said that the public "are still waiting to hear" from the former education minister.
"I still think that the public are waiting to hear from Ms Ruane ... there has been no documentary evidence (to support the statement about donations to charity). It was public money. It wasn't her money to decide what to do with it."
An Assembly spokeswoman said: "The Northern Ireland Act 1998 specifies that the speaker and deputy speakers continue to hold office and receive salaries as if they were a member of the Assembly, until their successors are appointed.
"Any increase in pension entitlement arises from length of service during this period and the level of salary paid. This applies whether or not they are returned as MLAs at an Assembly election."
DUP speaker Robin Newton and SDLP deputy speaker Patsy McGlone remain in post, receiving wages of £87,000 and £55,000 respectively. Both were re-elected as MLAs in March.
The UUP's Danny Kennedy, who was not re-elected, resigned as deputy speaker in June.
Pension contributions for assembly members are paid at a rate of 14.4% of pay before deductions for tax.
