Social Welfare Act, 1952

FOURTH SCHEDULE.

Contribution Conditions.

Section 14.

1. Disability benefit or unemployment benefit.

The contribution conditions for disability benefit or unemployment benefit are:—

(a) that not less than twenty-six employment contributions have been paid in respect of the claimant in respect of the period between the claimant's entry into insurance and the day for which the benefit is claimed, and

(b) that not less than fifty employment contributions have been paid in respect of or credited to the claimant in respect of the last complete contribution year before the beginning of the benefit year which includes the day for which the benefit is claimed,

but, as respects unemployment benefit, employment contributions under paragraph 3 of the Second Schedule to this Act paid in respect of the claimant shall be disregarded in determining for the purposes of each of the foregoing conditions the number of employment contributions which have been paid in respect of the claimant.

2. Marriage benefit.

The contribution conditions for marriage benefit are—

(a) that not less than one hundred and fifty-six employment contributions have been paid in respect of the claimant in respect of the period beginning with her entry into insurance and ending immediately before the date of her marriage, and

(b) that not less than fifty employment contributions have been paid in respect of or credited to the claimant in respect of the last complete contribution year before the date of her marriage.

3. Maternity benefit.

(a) Maternity grant.

The contribution conditions for a maternity grant are—

(i) that not less than twenty-six employment contributions have been paid in respect of the relevant person in respect of the period beginning with that person's entry into insurance and ending immediately before the date of confinement, and

(ii) that not less than twenty-six employment contributions have been paid in respect of or credited to that person in respect of the last complete contribution year before the beginning of the benefit year in which the relevant time occurs or in respect of a subsequent complete contribution year before the relevant time.

In this subparagraph, “relevant person” means the person by whom the conditions are to be satisfied and “relevant time” means the date of the confinement, or, where the relevant person is the husband and he was dead or over pensionable age on that date, the date of his attaining pensionable age or dying under that age.

(b) Maternity allowance.

The contribution conditions for maternity allowance are—

(i) that not less than twenty-six employment contributions have been paid in respect of the claimant before the relevant time, and

(ii) that not less than twenty-six employment contributions have been paid in respect of or credited to the claimant in respect of the last complete contribution year before the relevant time.

In this subparagraph, “relevant time” means the date of commencement of the sixth week before the end of the expected week of confinement.

4. Widow's (contributory) pension.

The contribution conditions for a widow's (contributory) pension are—

(a) that not less than one hundred and fifty-six employment contributions have been paid in respect of the husband in respect of the period beginning with his entry into insurance and ending immediately before the relevant time, and

(b) that, if at the relevant time four years or longer has elapsed since the husband's entry into insurance, the average per contribution year of the contributions paid in respect of or credited to him for the three contribution years, or (if warranted by his insurance record) the five contribution years, ending with the end of the last complete contribution year before the relevant time is not less than thirty-nine,

but, if the foregoing conditions are not satisfied on the husband's insurance record, they may be satisfied on the widow's insurance record (the husband's insurance record being disregarded).

In this paragraph, “relevant time” means the date of the husband's attaining pensionable age or dying under that age or, if the conditions are being satisfied on the widow's insurance record, the date of the husband's death.

5. Orphan's (contributory) allowance.

The contribution condition for an orphan's (contributory) allowance is that not less than twenty-six employment contributions have been paid in respect of one of the following persons:—

(a) a parent of the orphan,

(b) a step-parent of the orphan.