Social Welfare Act , 1972

1 Interpretation.

1.—In this Act—

“the Act of 1935” means the Widows' and Orphans' Pensions Act, 1935;

“the Act of 1952” means the Social Welfare Act, 1952;

“the Act of 1966” means the Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1966;

“the Act of 1968” means the Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1968;

“the Act of 1969” means the Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1969;

“the Act of 1970” means the Social Welfare Act, 1970;

“the Act of 1971” means the Social Welfare Act, 1971.

2 Increase of rates of old age pensions.

2.—(1) Section 77 of the Act of 1952 is hereby amended by—

(a) the substitution of “two hundred and seventy-three pounds” for “two hundred and sixty pounds” in each place where it occurs in subsection (2) (inserted by the Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1964),

(b) the substitution of “two hundred and sixty pounds” for “two hundred and forty-seven pounds” in that subsection,

(c) the substitution of “fifty new pence” for “forty new pence” in that subsection,

(d) the substitution for the Table (inserted by the Act of 1971) to that subsection of the Table to this subsection, and

(e) the substitution of “three pounds” for “fifty-five shillings” in paragraph (a) of subsection (5) (inserted by the Act of 1969).

TABLE

Rate of Pension

		Weekly Rates
Means of claimant or pensioner	Claimant or pensioner, no qualified child	Claimant or pensioner, one qualified child	Claimant or pensioner, two or more qualified children
(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)
	£	£	£
Where the yearly means of the claimant or pensioner as duly calculated—
are Nil	515	630	745
exceed Nil but do not exceed £2625	490	605	720
exceed £2625 but do not exceed £5250	465	580	695
exceed £5250 but do not exceed £6550	440	555	670	Plus, where there are more than two qualified children, 75p for each qualified child in excess of two.
exceed £6550 but do not exceed £7850	415	530	645
exceed £7850 but do not exceed £10475	390	505	620
exceed £10475 but do not exceed £11775	365	480	595
exceed £11775 but do not exceed £13075	340	455	570
exceed £13075 but do not exceed £14375	315	430	545
exceed £14375 but do not exceed £15675	290	405	520
exceed £15675 but do not exceed £16975	265	380	495
exceed £16975 but do not exceed £18275	240	355	470
exceed £18275 but do not exceed £19575	215	330	445
exceed £19575 but do not exceed £20875	190	305	420
exceed £20875 but do not exceed £22175	165	280	395
exceed £22175 but do not exceed £23475	140	255	370
exceed £23475 but do not exceed £24775	115	230	345
exceed £24775 but do not exceed £26075	090	205	320
exceed £26075 but do not exceed £27375	065	180	295

(2) In the case of a pensioner who has attained the age of 80 years, the rate of pension payable to him in accordance with the Table (inserted by this section) to subsection (2) of the said section 77 shall be increased by fifty new pence.

(3) Section 8 of the Old Age Pensions Act, 1924 (as amended by the Act of 1971) is hereby amended by the substitution of “two hundred and seventy-three pounds” for “two hundred and sixty pounds” in subsection (1) (i).

(4) Subsections (1) to (3) of this section shall come into operation on the 4th day of August, 1972.

3 Increase of rates of unemployment assistance.

3.—(1) In the Unemployment Assistance Act, 1933, for the Schedule thereto (inserted by the Act of 1971) there is hereby substituted the Schedule to this subsection.

SCHEDULE

RATES OF UNEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE

Classes of persons to whom the rates of unemployment assistance set out in this Schedule are applicable	Weekly rate of unemployment assistance applicable to persons resident in any urban area	Weekly rate of unemployment assistance applicable to persons resident in any other place
Person without a dependant	£435	£405
Person with an adult dependant	£775	£735
Person with an adult dependant and one child dependant	£890	£850
Person with an adult dependant and two or more child dependants	£1005 plus, where there are more than two child dependants, 75p for each child dependant in excess of two.	£965 plus, where there are more than two child dependants, 75p for each child dependant in excess of two.
Person with one child dependant	£565	£535
Person with two or more child dependants	£680 plus, where there are more than two child dependants, 75p for each child dependant in excess of two.	£650 plus, where there are more than two child dependants, 75p for each child dependant in excess of two.

(2) Subsection (1) of this section shall come into operation on the 2nd day of August, 1972.

4 Increase of certain rates of unemployment benefit.

4.—(1) In the Table to section 5 (2) of the Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1967, for the rates set forth therein (inserted by the Act of 1971) there are hereby substituted the rates set forth in the Table to this subsection.

TABLE

Class of Person	Weekly Rate	Increase for adult dependant (where payable)	Increase for qualified child or for each of two qualified children (where payable)	Increase for each qualified child in excess of two (where payable)
(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)	(5)
Person entitled to an increase in respect of a qualified child but not entitled to an increase in respect of an adult dependant	£450	—	£115	£075
Any other person	£435	£340	£115	£075

(2) Subsection (1) of this section shall come into operation on the 3rd day of August, 1972.

5 Increase of rates of widows' (non- contributory) pensions.

5.—(1) Section 20 (inserted by the Act of 1952) of the Act of 1935 is hereby amended by—

(a) the substitution for subsection (1) (b) (inserted by the Act of 1971) of the following:

“(b) (i) where the yearly means of the widow as duly calculated do not exceed two hundred and seventy-three pounds and seventy-five new pence, at the rate set forth in Table B to this subsection, and

(ii) where the yearly means of the widow as duly calculated exceed two hundred and seventy-three pounds and seventy-five new pence, at the rate at which the pension would be payable if the yearly means of the widow as duly calculated exceeded two hundred and sixty pounds and seventy-five new pence but did not exceed two hundred and seventy-three pounds and seventy-five new pence, less twenty-five new pence for each amount (if any) of thirteen pounds by which the said yearly means exceed two hundred and seventy-three pounds and seventy-five new pence, any fraction of thirteen pounds being treated for this purpose as thirteen pounds; provided that if the rate calculated pursuant to this paragraph at which, but for this provision, the pension would be payable is less than fifty new pence a week, the pension shall not be payable”,

and

(b) the substitution for Table B (inserted by the Act of 1971) of the following Table:

TABLE B

Weekly Rates of Widows' (Non-Contributory) Pensions

Means of Widow	Widow, no qualified child	Widow, one qualified child	Widow, two qualified children
(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)
Where the yearly means of the widow, as duly calculated—	£	£	£
are Nil	515	650	785
exceed Nil but do not exceed £2625	490	625	760
exceed £2625 but do not exceed £5250	465	600	735
exceed £5250 but do not exceed £6550	440	575	710
exceed £6550 but do not exceed £7850	415	550	685	Plus, where there are more than two qualified children, £1.35 for each qualified child in excess of two.
exceed £7850 but do not exceed £10475	390	525	660
exceed £10475 but do not exceed £11775	365	500	635
exceed £11775 but do not exceed £13075	340	475	610
exceed £13075 but do not exceed £14375	315	450	585
exceed £14375 but do not exceed £15675	290	425	560
exceed £15675 but do not exceed £16975	265	400	535
exceed £16975 but do not exceed £18275	240	375	510
exceed £18275 but do not exceed £19575	215	350	485
exceed £19575 but do not exceed £20875	190	325	460
exceed £20875 but do not exceed £22175	165	300	435
exceed £22175 but do not exceed £23475	140	275	410
exceed £23475 but do not exceed £24775	115	250	385
exceed £24775 but do not exceed £26075	090	225	360
exceed £26075 but do not exceed £27375	065	200	335

(2) Subsection (1) of this section shall come into operation, in the case of allowances payable by virtue of section 22 of the Act of 1970, on the 3rd day of August, 1972, and, in all other cases, on the 4th day of August, 1972.

6 Increase of rates of orphans' (non-contributory) pensions.

6.—(1) For the Table (inserted by the Act of 1971) to section 25 (inserted by the Act of 1952) of the Act of 1935 there is hereby inserted the Table to this subsection.

TABLE

Weekly Rates of Orphans' (Non-Contributory) Pensions

Means of Orphan	Weekly Rates
Where the yearly means of the orphan as duly calculated—
do not exceed £2340	£300
exceed £2340 but do not exceed £4680	£255
exceed £4680 but do not exceed £7020	£210
exceed £7020 but do not exceed £9360	£165
exceed £9360 but do not exceed £11700	£120
exceed £11700 but do not exceed £14040	£075
exceed £14040	No pension

(2) Subsection (1) of this section shall come into the operation on the 4th day of August, 1972

7 Amendment of section 6 of Act of 1952.

7.—(1) Section 6 (2) (inserted by the Social Welfare (Amendment) Act, 1960) of the Act of 1952 is hereby amended by the substitution for the rate of voluntary contribution set forth in each paragraph mentioned in column (1) of the Table to this subsection of the rate set forth, opposite the mention of that paragraph in the said column (1), in column (2) of that Table.

TABLE

Paragraph of Section 6 (2)	Rate of Contribution
(1)	(2)
Paragraph (a)	44p
Paragraph (b)	£108

(2) Subsection (1) of this section shall come into operation on the 2nd day of October, 1972.

8 Amendment of section 26 (4) of Act of 1952.

8.—(1) Subsection (4) (inserted by the Act of 1968) of section 26 of the Act of 1952 is hereby amended by—

(a) the substitution for paragraph (a) of the following paragraph:

“(a) The weekly rate of old age (contributory) pension and, in the case of a person who has attained the age of 70 years, of widow's (contributory) pension, retirement pension or invalidity pension shall be increased by the amount set out in column (6) of Part I of the Third Schedule to this Act for any period during which—

(i) the beneficiary is so incapacitated as to require full-time care and attention,

(ii) there is residing with the beneficiary for the purpose of providing that care and attention a prescribed relative of the beneficiary, and

(iii) such conditions as may be prescribed are fulfilled.”,

and

(b) the deletion of “female” in paragraph (b).

(2) Subsection (1) of this section shall come into operation on the 5th day of October, 1972.

9 Amendment of section 47 of Act of 1952.

9.—Section 47 of the Act of 1952 is hereby amended by the substitution for paragraph (aa) (inserted by the Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1963) of the following paragraph:

“(aa) where it appears to the Minister that the circumstances so warrant, for enabling a person to be appointed to receive and deal with, on behalf of a claimant or beneficiary—

(i) in respect of disability benefit, unemployment benefit, invalidity pension, retirement pension or old age (contributory) pension, so much of the benefit or pension as is payable by virtue of section 26 or section 27 of this Act,

(ii) in respect of widow's (contributory) pension, so much of the pension as is payable by virtue of section 27 of this Act,

(iii) in respect of injury benefit or disablement pension, so much thereof as is payable by virtue of section 10 or section 11 of the Social Welfare (Occupational Injuries) Act, 1966.”.

10 Amendment of section 58 of Act of 1952.

10.—Section 58 of the Act of 1952 is hereby amended by the substitution of “twelve months” for “four months” in subsection (3).

11 Amendment of section 77 (5) of Act of 1952.

11.—(1) Section 77 (5) (inserted by the Act of 1969) of the Act of 1952 is hereby amended by the deletion of “female” in paragraphs (a) (ii) and (b).

(2) Subsection (1) of this section shall come into operation on the 6th day of October, 1972.

12 Amendment of Second Schedule to Act of 1952.

12.—(1) The Second Schedule to the Act of 1952 is hereby amended by the substitution, for the rate of contribution set forth in each paragraph mentioned in column (1) of the Table to this subsection, of the rate set forth opposite the mention of that paragraph in the said column (1), in column (2) of that Table.

TABLE

Paragraph of Second Schedule	Rate of Contribution
(1)	(2)
	£
Paragraph 1 (a):
(i) in the case of a male employed contributor	103
(ii) in the case of a female employed contributor	097
Paragraph 1 (b):
(i) in the case of a male employed contributor	109
(ii) in the case of a female employed contributor	107
Paragraph 2 (a)	091
Paragraph 2 (b)	095
Paragraph 2 A (a)	077
Paragraph 2 A (b)	090
Paragraph 3 (a)	072
Paragraph 3 (b)	079
Paragraph 3A (a)	082
Paragraph 3A (b)	095
Paragraph 4 (a)	021
Paragraph 4 (b)	023
Paragraph 5 (b)	023
Paragraph 6 (a)	094
Paragraph 6 (b)	107
Paragraph 7 (a)	094
Paragraph 7 (b)	102

(2) Subsection (1) of this section shall come into operation on the 2nd day of October, 1972.

13 Amendment of Third Schedule to Act of 1952.

13.—(1) The Third Schedule to the Act of 1952 is hereby amended by—

(a) the substitution for Part I (inserted by the Act of 1971) of the following Part:

“PART I