First Previous (PART I Preliminary) Next (PART III Carer's Benefit)

4 2000

SOCIAL WELFARE ACT, 2000

PART II

Increases

Social insurance benefits (new rates).

4. —(1) The Principal Act is amended by the substitution for Parts I to IV (inserted by section 4 of the Act of 1999) of the Second Schedule thereto of the Parts set out in Schedule A to this Act.

(2) This section comes into operation—

(a) in so far as it relates to unemployment benefit, on 27 April 2000,

(b) in so far as it relates to disability benefit, health and safety benefit, injury benefit and disablement gratuity on 1 May 2000,

(c) in so far as it relates to retirement pension, invalidity pension and a relevant payment by virtue of section 18(1)(a) of the Act of 1996, on 4 May 2000, and

(d) in so far as it relates to disablement pension, death benefit under section 60, 61 or 62 of the Principal Act, old age (contributory) pension, widow's and widower's (contributory) pension and orphan's (contributory) allowance, on 5 May 2000.

Social assistance payments (new rates).)

5. —(1) The Principal Act is amended by the substitution for Parts I and II (inserted by section 5 of the Act of 1999) of the Fourth Schedule thereto of the Parts set out in Schedule B to this Act.

(2) This section comes into operation—

(a) in so far as it relates to unemployment assistance and farm assist, on 26 April 2000,

(b) in so far as it relates to supplementary welfare allowance, on 1 May 2000,

(c) in so far as it relates to disability allowance, on 3 May 2000,

(d) in so far as it relates to pre-retirement allowance, one-parent family payment (other than where payable in respect of a widow or widower), carer's allowance and a relevant payment by virtue of section 18(1)(b) or (c) of the Act of 1996, on 4 May 2000, and

(e) in so far as it relates to old age (non-contributory) pension, blind pension, widow's and widower's (non-contributory) pension, one-parent family payment payable in respect of a widow or widower and orphan's (non-contributory) pension, on 5 May 2000.

Child benefit (new rates).)

6. —(1) The Fourth Schedule to the Principal Act is amended by the substitution for Part III (inserted by section 6 of the Act of 1999) of the following Part:

“PART III

Amounts of Child Benefit

Amount for each of first 2 children

Amount for each child in excess of 2

(1)

(2)

£42.50

£56.00

”.

(2) This section comes into operation on 1 September 2000.

Family income supplement (new weekly rates).

7 —(1) The Principal Act is amended by the substitution for section 198 (inserted by section 7(1) of the Act of 1999) of the following section:

“198.—Subject to this Act, an allowance (in this Act referred to as ‘family income supplement') shall be payable out of moneys provided by the Oireachtas in respect of a family where the weekly family income is less than—

(a) in the case of a family which includes only 1 child, £233,

(b) in the case of a family which includes 2 children, £253,

(c) in the case of a family which includes 3 children, £273,

(d) in the case of a family which includes 4 children, £293,

(e) in the case of a family which includes 5 children, £318,

(f) in the case of a family which includes 6 children, £338,

(g) in the case of a family which includes 7 children, £355, or

(h) in the case of a family which includes 8 or more children, £372.”.

(2) This section comes into operation on 4 May 2000.

Employment contributions (exemption from payment, new rates of contributions and increases in earnings ceilings).

8 —(1) Section 10 of the Principal Act is amended by—

(a) the insertion after subsection (1)(a) of the following subsection:

“(aa) where in any contribution week a payment of not more than £226 per week (or the equivalent thereof in respect of an employed contributor remunerated otherwise than on a weekly basis) is made to or for the benefit of an employed contributor in respect of reckonable earnings of that contributor relating to an employment, a contribution shall not be payable by that employed contributor in respect of those earnings from that employment.”,

(b) the substitution in subsection (1)(b) for “a payment” of “a payment of more than £226”,

(c) the substitution in subsection (1)(c) of “£26,500” for “£25,400” (inserted by section 8(1)(a) of the Act of 1999),

(d) the substitution in subsection (1)(d) of—

(i) “7.8 per cent.” for “8.5 per cent.”, and

(ii) “11.3 per cent.” for “12 per cent.”,

(both inserted by section 8(1)(c) of the Act of 1996),

(e) the substitution in subsection (1)(e) (inserted by section 8(1)(c) of the Act of 1999) of “£36,600” for “£35,000”, and

(f) the substitution in subsection (7) (inserted by section 12 of the Act of 1996) of “7.8 per cent.” for “8.5 per cent.” and of “11.3 per cent.” for “12 per cent.”.

(2) This section, other than subsection (1)(d) and (f), comes into operation on 6 April 2000.

(3) Subsection (1)(d) and (f) comes into operation on such day or days as the Minister may appoint by order.

Self-employment contributions (increase in income ceiling).

9 .—(1) Section 18(1) of the Principal Act is amended by the substitution in paragraph (d) of “£26,500” for “£25,400” (inserted by section 9(1) of the Act of 1999).

(2) This section comes into operation on 6 April 2000.