Social Welfare Act, 1996

Child benefit (new rates, etc.).

5.—(1) The Fourth Schedule to the Principal Act is hereby amended by the substitution for Part III (inserted by section 5 of the Act of 1995) 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)

£29

£34

”.

(2) Subsection (1) of this section shall come into operation on the 1st day of September, 1996.

(3) Section 194 (as amended by section 5 of the Act of 1994) of the Principal Act is hereby amended by—

(a) the substitution in subsection (4) of “£500” for “£200”,

(b) the insertion after subsection (6) of the following subsection:

“(6A) Subject to this Act, a person, other than a person to whom subsection (2) applies, who is qualified for child benefit shall be paid a grant in respect of twins (being qualified children) of £500 on the 4th and 12th anniversary of the birth of the last-born of the twins.”, and

(c) the insertion in subsection (7) after “subsection (3)” of “or subsection (6A)”.

(4) Subsection (3) of this section shall apply in the case of twins (being qualified children) who are born or attain the age of 4 years or 12 years, as the case may be, on or after the 1st day of January, 1996.

(5) Section 192 of the Principal Act is hereby amended by the substitution for subsection (2) (as amended by section 5 of the Act of 1995) of the following subsection:

“(2) Notwithstanding subsection (1), a child who resides with a qualified person and such person's spouse while the qualified person or such person's spouse—

(a) being a member of the Defence Forces or a civil servant in the civil service of the Government or the State, is in the service, outside the State, of the Government, the State or an international organisation,

(b) is a volunteer development worker, or

(c) is an insured person employed outside the State in respect of whom employment contributions under Part II are payable in accordance with regulations made under section 25,

shall be a qualified child for the purposes of this Part.”.