Social Welfare Act 2007

1. Definitions.

1.— In this Act—

“ Act of 2006” means the Social Welfare Act 2006;

“ Principal Act ” means the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005.

2. Social insurance benefits (new rates).

2.— (1) Schedule 2 to the Principal Act (as amended by section 2(1) of the Act of 2006) is amended by substituting the Parts set out in Schedule 1 for Parts 1 to 4 of the said Schedule 2.

(2) This section comes into operation—

(a) in so far as it relates to jobseeker’s benefit, on 27 December 2007,

(b) in so far as it relates to illness benefit, health and safety benefit, injury benefit and disablement gratuity, on 31 December 2007,

(c) in so far as it relates to carer’s benefit, State pension (transition), invalidity pension and a payment referred to in paragraph (a) of the definition of “relevant payment” in section 178 of the Principal Act, on 3 January 2008, and

(d) in so far as it relates to disablement pension, death benefit under section 81, 82 or 83 of the Principal Act, State pension (contributory), widow’s (contributory) pension, widower’s (contributory) pension and guardian’s payment (contributory), on 4 January 2008.

3. Social assistance payments (new rates).

3.— (1) Schedule 4 to the Principal Act (as amended by section 3(1) of the Act of 2006) is amended by substituting the Parts set out in Schedule 2 for Parts 1 to 3 of the said Schedule 4.

(2) This section comes into operation—

(a) in so far as it relates to jobseeker’s allowance, pre-retirement allowance and farm assist, on 26 December 2007,

(b) in so far as it relates to supplementary welfare allowance, on 31 December 2007,

(c) in so far as it relates to disability allowance, on 2 January 2008,

(d) in so far as it relates to one-parent family payment (other than where payable in respect of a widow or widower), carer’s allowance and a payment referred to in paragraph (b) or (c) of the definition of “ relevant payment” in section 178 of the Principal Act, on 3 January 2008, and

(e) in so far as it relates to State pension (non-contributory), blind pension, widow’s (non-contributory) pension, widower’s (non-contributory) pension, one-parent family payment payable in respect of a widow or widower and guardian’s payment (non-contributory), on 4 January 2008.

4. Family income supplement (new weekly rates).

4.— (1) The following section is substituted for section 228 (as amended by section 4(1) of the Act of 2006) of the Principal Act:

“228.— Subject to this Act, an allowance (in this Act referred to as ‘family income supplement’) shall be payable out of moneys provided by the Oireachtas in respect of a family where the weekly family income is less than—

(a) in the case of a family which includes only 1 child, €490,

(b) in the case of a family which includes 2 children, €570,

(c) in the case of a family which includes 3 children, €655,

(d) in the case of a family which includes 4 children, €760,

(e) in the case of a family which includes 5 children, €870,

(f) in the case of a family which includes 6 children, €970,

(g) in the case of a family which includes 7 children, €1,090, or

(h) in the case of a family which includes 8 or more children, €1,170.”.

(2) This section comes into operation on 3 January 2008.

5. Employment contributions (amendment to earnings limits and ceiling).

5.— (1) Section 13(2) (as amended by section 5(1) of the Act of 2006) of the Principal Act is amended—

(a) in paragraph (a) by substituting “€352” for “€339”,

(b) in paragraph (b) by substituting “€352” for “€339”, and

(c) in paragraph (c) by substituting “€50,700” for “€48,800”.

(2) This section comes into operation on 1 January 2008.

6. Optional contributions (amendment to income ceiling).

6.— (1) Section 29(1)(b) (as amended by section 6(1) of the Act of 2006) of the Principal Act is amended by substituting “€50,700” for “€48,800”.

(2) This section comes into operation on 1 January 2008.

7. Widowed parent grant — increase of grant.

7.— (1) Section 137(1) of the Principal Act (as amended by section 9(1) of the Act of 2006) is amended by substituting “€6,000” for “€4,000”.

(2) This section has effect in respect of persons whose entitlement to a widowed parent grant arises on or after 5 December 2007.

8. Amendments to Health Contributions Act 1979.

8.— (1) Section 7A of the Health Contributions Act 1979 (as amended by section 13(1) of the Act of 2006) is amended—

(a) in subsection (1)—

(i) in paragraph (a) by substituting “€500” for “€480”, and

(ii) in paragraph (b) by substituting “€26,000” for “€24,960”,

and

(b) in subsection (2) by substituting “€26,000” for “€24,960”.

(2) This section comes into operation on 1 January 2008.

9. Short title and construction.

9.— (1) This Act may be cited as the Social Welfare Act 2007.

(2) The Social Welfare Acts and this Act (other than section 8) shall be read together as one.

SCHEDULE 1

“PART 1

Description of benefit	Weekly rate	Increase for qualified adult (where payable)	Increase for each qualified child (where payable)	Increase for pre-scribed relative under section 183 (where payable)	Increase where the person is living alone (where payable)	Increase where the person has attained the age of 80 years (where payable)	Increase where the person is ordinarily resident on an island off the coast of Ireland (where payable)
(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)	(5)	(6)	(7)	(8)
	€	€	€	€	€	€	€
1. Illness Benefit, Jobseeker’s Benefit, Injury Benefit and Health and Safety Benefit	197.80	131.30	24.00	—	—	—	—
2. Death Benefit:
(a) pension payable to a widow or widower (section 81)	227.70	—	24.00	138.00	7.70	10.00	12.70
additional increase for a widow or widower (under section 81) who has attained pensionable age	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
(b) pension payable to a parent:
(i) reduced rate	110.10	—	—	138.00	7.70	—	—
(ii) maximumrate	227.70	—	—	138.00	7.70	—	—
(c) pension payable to an orphan	173.80	—	—	—	—	—	—
3. State Pension (Contributory) and State Pension (Transition):	223.30	148.80	24.00	138.00	7.70	10.00	12.70
additional increase for a qualified adult who has attained pensionable age	—	51.20	—	—	—	—	—
4. Invalidity Pension:	203.30	145.10	24.00	138.00	7.70	10.00	12.70
additional increase for a beneficiary who has attained the age of 65 years	20.00	—	—	—	—	—	—
additional increase where qualified adult has attained pensionable age	—	54.90	—	—	—	—	—
5. Widow’s (Contributory) Pension and Widower’s (Contributory) Pension and a payment referred to in paragraph (a) of the definition of ‘ relevant payment’ in section 178:	203.30	—	24.00	138.00	7.70	10.00	12.70
additional increase for a beneficiary who has attained pensionable age	20.00	—	—	—	—	—	—
6.Guardian’s Payment (Contributory)	170.00	—	—	—	—	—	—
7. Carer’s Benefit:
(a) in the case of a person to whom section 102(1)(b) applies	214.70	—	24.00	—	—	—	—
(b) in the case of a person to whom section 102(1)(a) applies	322.10	—	24.00	—	—	—	—

PART 2

Description of Grant	Amount
(1)	(2)
	€
1. Disablement Benefit: Maximum gratuity	16,020
2. Death Benefit	850

PART 3

Degree of disablement	Weekly rate
(1)	(2)
	€
100 per cent... ... ... ...	228.90
90 per cent... ... ... ...	206.00
80 per cent... ... ... ...	183.10
70 per cent... ... ... ...	160.20
60 per cent... ... ... ...	137.30
50 per cent... ... ... ...	114.50
40 per cent... ... ... ...	91.60
30 per cent... ... ... ...	68.70
20 per cent... ... ... ...	45.80

PART 4

Description of increase	Weekly rate	Increase where the person is living alone	Increase where the person is ordinarily resident on an island off the coast of Ireland (where payable)
(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)
	€	€	€
1. Increase where the person is permanently incapable of work	197.80	7.70	12.70
2. Increase where the person requires constant attendance	214.70	—	—

”.

SCHEDULE 2

“PART 1

Description of assistance	Weekly rate	Increase for qualified adult (where payable)	Increase for each qualified child (where payable)	Increase for pres-cribed relative under section 183 (where payable)	Increase where the person is living alone (where payable)	Increase where the person has attained the age of 80 years (where payable)	Increase where the person is ordinarily resident on an island off the coast of Ireland (where payable)
(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)	(5)	(6)	(7)	(8)
	€	€	€	€	€	€	€
1. Jobseeker’s Allowance:
(a) in the case of a person to whom section 142(1)(a) applies	197.80	131.30	24.00	—	—	—	—
(b) in the case of a person to whom section 142(1)(b) applies	197.80	131.30	24.00	—	—	—	—
2. Pre-Retirement Allowance	197.80	131.30	24.00	—	—	—	—
3. Disability Allowance	197.80	131.30	24.00	—	7.70	—	12.70
4. State Pension (Non-Contributory)	212.00	—	24.00	138.00	7.70	10.00	12.70
5. Blind Pension	197.80	—	24.00	138.00	7.70	10.00	12.70
6. Widow’s (Non-Contributory) Pension, Widower’s (Non-Contributory) Pension and a payment referred to in paragraph (b) or (c) of the definition of ‘ relevant payment ’ in section 178	197.80	—	—	138.00	7.70	10.00	12.70
7. One-Parent Family Payment	197.80	—	24.00	—	—	10.00	12.70
8. Carer’s Allowance:
(a) in the case of a person to whom section 181(1)(a) applies	321.00	—	24.00	—	—	10.00	12.70
additional increase for a beneficiary who has attained pensionable age	27.00	—	—	—	—	—	—
(b) in the case of a person to whom section 181(1)(b) applies	214.00	—	24.00	—	—	10.00	12.70
additional increase for a beneficiary who has attained pensionable age	18.00	—	—	—	—	—	—
9. Guardian’s Payment (Non- Contributory)	170.00	—	—	—	—	—	—
10. Supplementary Welfare Allowance	197.80	131.30	24.00	—	—	—	—
11. Farm Assist	197.80	131.30	24.00	—	—	—	—

PART 2