Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 1993

Calculation of supplementary welfare allowance.

[1981, ss. 207 (1), 210(1)]

177.—(1) The amount of supplementary welfare allowance to which a person is entitled shall be the amount by which his means fall short of his needs, and for the purpose of ascertaining that amount—

(a) the weekly needs of a person shall, subject to any payment pursuant to section 179, be taken to be—

(i) in the case of a person who has no means, the amount calculated in accordance with section 178, or

(ii) in the case of a person who has means, the amount calculated in accordance with section 178 which would be appropriate in his case if he had no means, reduced by 5p per week for every 5p or part of 5p of his weekly means,

(b) the weekly means of any person for the purpose of ascertaining his entitlement to supplementary welfare allowance shall be calculated in accordance with the Rules contained in Part III of the Third Schedule .

[1981, s. 207(2); 1991, s. 45(1)]

(2) In calculating the amount of supplementary welfare allowance payable to any person, the following provisions shall apply—

(a) where—

(i) a husband and wife, or

(ii) a man and woman who are not married to each other but are cohabiting as husband and wife,

are members of the same household, their needs and means shall be aggregated and shall be regarded as the needs and means of the claimant;

(b) in the case of a person with a child dependant his needs shall be taken to include the needs of that child dependant;

(c) where the needs of any person are taken into account indetermining the entitlement of any other person to supplementary welfare allowance, only such other person shall be entitled to an allowance.