Social Welfare Act, 2001

Constant attendance allowance — improvements.

19.—(1) The Principal Act is amended by the substitution for section 57 (as amended by section 39 of the Act of 1996) of the following section:

“Increase of disablement pension where constant attendance is needed.

57.—(1) Where a disablement pension is payable in respect of an assessment of 50 per cent. or more, then, if as a result of the relevant loss of faculty the beneficiary requires constant attendance, the weekly rate of the pension shall be increased by the amount set out in Part IV of the Second Schedule.

(2) An increase of pension under this section shall be payable for such period as may be determined at the time it is granted, but may be renewed from time to time:

Provided that no such increase shall be payable in respect of any period during which the beneficiary is receiving medical treatment as an in-patient in a hospital or similar institution.”.

(2) This section comes into operation on 6 April 2001.