Social Welfare Act, 1979

Widows' (non-contributory) pensions, deserted wife's allowance, social assistance allowance for unmarried mothers and prisoner's wife's allowance (abolition of upper age limit).

7.—For the purpose of ensuring that widows' (non-contributory) pensions, deserted wife's allowance, social assistance allowance for unmarried mothers and prisoner's wife's allowance shall not cease to be payable when a recipient attains the age of 66 years—

(a) section 21 of the Act of 1935 (inserted by the Act of 1964 and amended by the Act of 1977) is hereby repealed;

(b) the following is hereby substituted for section 22 (1) (as amended by the Act of 1977) of the Act of 1935:

“(1) A widow's (non-contributory) pension payable to a widow shall, subject to this Act, continue to be payable unless she remarries and in such a case the pension shall cease on and from her remarriage.”;

(c) the following section is hereby substituted for section 36 (as amended by the Act of 1977) of the Act of 1935:

“36. Where the date on which a widow's pension would cease to be payable is a day of the week other than that immediately preceding the day in the week prescribed as the day in the week on which the weekly payments on account of the pension are to be made, the pension shall continue to be payable in respect of the days in the week up to, but not including, that prescribed day.”;

(d) section 22 (1) (b) of the Act of 1970 (as amended by the Act of 1973) is hereby repealed;

(e) section 8 (1) (b) of the Act of 1973 is hereby repealed;

(f) section 9 (1) (b) of the Act of 1974 is hereby repealed.