S.I. No. 684/2005 - Social Welfare (Temporary Provisions) Regulations 2005

S.I. No. 684 of 2005 .

SOCIAL WELFARE (TEMPORARY PROVISIONS) REGULATIONS 2005.

The Minister for Social and Family Affairs, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by sections 4 (as amended by section 26 of the Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2005 (No. 4 of 2005)) and 241 of the Social Welfare (Consolidation Act 1993 (No. 27 of 1993), hereby makes the following Regulations:

Citation

1.  These Regulations may be cited as the Social Welfare (Temporary Provisions) Regulations 2005.

Definition

2.  In these Regulations “the Principal Act” means the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act 1993 .

Christmas bonus

3.  (1)  Subject to this article, where a person is or becomes entitled to any benefit, pension, assistance, allowance or payment mentioned in this article, any amount payable to that person by way of that benefit, pension, assistance, allowance or payment (including any increase thereof) shall be increased by a sum equal to 100 per cent of the appropriate weekly amount due to the said person in respect of the week commencing on

(a)  23 November 2005 in the case of unemployment assistance payable in accordance with section 121(1)(a) of the Principal Act, farm assist or pre-retirement allowance, or

(b)  30 November 2005 in the case of disability allowance or

(c)  1 December 2005 in the case of retirement pension invalidity pension, one parent family payment (other than one parent family payment payable in respect of a widow or a widower), a relevant payment under section 18(1) of the Social Welfare Act, 1996 (No. 7 of 1996) or carer's allowance or

(d)  2 December 2005 in the case of disablement pension death benefit under sections 60, 61 or 62 of the Principal Act, old age (contributory) pension widow's and widower's (contributory) pension orphan's (contributory) allowance, old age (non-contributory pension, blind pension, widow's and widower's (non-contributory) pension orphan's (non-contributory) pension or one parent family payment in respect of a widow or widower:

Provided that a person (other than a person who by virtue of Regulations made under section 209 of the Principal Act is in receipt of more than one benefit, pension, assistance allowance or payment) shall not be entitled to more than one such increase.

(2)  Where on the 30th day of November 2005, or the 1st or 2nd day of December 2005, as the case may be, a benefit pension, assistance, payment or allowance is payable to a person by direct credit transfer in accordance with article 108(2)(c) of the Social Welfare (Consolidated Payments Provisions) Regulations 1994 to 2005, that benefit, pension assistance, payment or allowance shall be deemed to include the appropriate weekly amount due to that person payable in accordance with sub-article (1).

(3)  Where the amount of the increase calculated pursuant to sub-article (1) of this article is less than €30, the said increase shall be payable at the amount of €30.

Rounding

4.  Where, by virtue of the provisions of these Regulations the amount of benefit, pension, assistance, allowance or payment (including any increase thereof) is increased, the amount so payable shall be rounded up to the nearest 10 cent where it is a multiple of 5 cent but not also a multiple of 10 cent and shall be rounded to the nearest 10 cent where it is not a multiple of 5 cent or 10 cent.

The Minister for Finance hereby consents to the making of the foregoing Regulations.

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

(This note is not part of the Instrument and does not purport to be a legal interpretation.)

These Regulations provide for the payment of a Christmas Bonus to long term social welfare recipients, subject to a minimum payment of €30.

The bonus payment applies to recipients of

—  Disablement Pension,

—  Death Benefit by way of pension,

—  Old Age (Contributory and Non Contributory Pension,

—  Retirement Pension,

—  Invalidity Pension,

—  Widow's and Widower's (Non Contributory Pension,

—  Widow's and Widower's (Contributory) Pension,

—  Orphan's (Contributory and Non Contributory Pension,

—  Pre-Retirement Allowance,

—  Blind Pension,

—  Carer's Allowance,

—  One parent Family Payment, relevant payments under section 18(1) of the Social Welfare Act, 1996 (formerly Deserted Wife's Benefit and Allowance and Prisoner's Wife's Allowance),

—  Unemployment Assistance at the long term rate,

—  Disability Allowance and

—  Farm Assist.