Social Welfare Act 2010

Supplementary welfare allowance — reduced weekly amounts in certain circumstances.

9.— (1) The Principal Act is amended by inserting the following section after section 195:

“Supplementary welfare allowance — reduced weekly amounts in certain circumstances.

195A.— Notwithstanding section 195, in the case of a person who—

(a) has, when requested to do so by an officer of the Minister, without good cause refused to participate, or to agree to participate, in a course of training which is considered appropriate by the officer having regard to the training needs of the person and his or her personal circumstances,

(b) has, without good cause, refused or failed to avail himself or herself of any reasonable offer of training provided or approved of by An Foras Áiseanna Saothair, or

(c) has, without good cause, refused or failed to avail himself or herself of an opportunity of participating in a programme administered by An Foras Áiseanna Saothair and the Minister pursuant to the plan commonly known as the National Employment Action Plan,

the weekly amount of supplementary welfare allowance payable shall be as set out in subsection (1A), (2A) or, as the case may be, (4A) of section 197.”.

(2) Section 196 of the Principal Act is amended in subsection (1) by inserting “and section 195A” after “section 341(7)”.

(3) Section 197 (as amended by section 13 of the Act of 2009) of the Principal Act is amended—

(a) by inserting the following subsection after subsection (1):

“(1A) Subject to this Act and notwithstanding subsection (1), in the case of a person to whom section 195A refers, the weekly amount of supplementary welfare allowance shall be reduced and accordingly shall be the weekly amount of supplementary welfare allowance as set out in column (2) at reference 10(a) of Part 1 of Schedule 4 which shall be reduced in each week by €42, increased by—

(a) the amount set out in column (3) of that Part for any period during which the claimant or beneficiary has a qualified adult, subject to the restriction that the claimant or beneficiary shall not be entitled for the same period to an increase of allowance under this paragraph in respect of more than one person, and

(b) the appropriate amount set out in column (4) of that Part in respect of each qualified child.”,

(b) by inserting the following subsection after subsection (2):

“(2A) Subject to this Act and notwithstanding subsection (2), in the case of a person to whom section 195A refers, the weekly amount of supplementary welfare allowance shall be reduced and accordingly shall be the weekly amount of supplementary welfare allowance as set out in column (2) at reference 10(b) of Part 1 of Schedule 4 which shall be reduced in each week by €25, increased by the amount set out in column (3) of that Part for any period during which the claimant or beneficiary has a qualified adult, subject to the restriction that the claimant or beneficiary shall not be entitled for the same period to an increase of allowance under this subsection in respect of more than one person.”,

and

(c) by inserting the following subsection after subsection (4):

“(4A) Subject to this Act and notwithstanding subsection (4), in the case of a person to whom section 195A refers, the weekly amount of supplementary welfare allowance shall be reduced and accordingly shall be the weekly amount of supplementary welfare allowance as set out in column (2) at reference 10(c) of Part 1 of Schedule 4 which shall be reduced in each week by €33, increased by the amount set out in column (3) of that Part for any period during which the beneficiary has a qualified adult, subject to the restriction that the claimant or beneficiary shall not be entitled for the same period to an increase of allowance under this subsection in respect of more than one person.”.