department of social and family affairs annual report 2006 - Welfare.ie

S.I. No. 119 of 2006
SOCIAL WELFARE ACT 2005 (SECTIONS 7 and 8)
(COMMENCEMENT) ORDER 2006
This Order provides for the commencement
of Sections 7(1)(a)(ii), 7(1)(a)(iii), 7(1)(b), 7(2) and
8(1)(a)(i) of the Social Welfare Act 2005 which
provide for the extension of the duration of
payment of Maternity Benefit and Adoptive
Benefit consequential on Budget 2006. These
Regulations come into effect from 1 March 2006.
S.I. No. 120 of 2006
SOCIAL WELFARE (CONSOLIDATED PAYMENTS
PROVISIONS) (AMENDMENT)(BENEFIT AND
PRIVILEGE) REGULATIONS 2006
S.I. No. 146 of 2006
SOCIAL WELFARE (CONSOLIDATED
SUPPLEMENTARY WELFARE ALLOWANCE)
(AMENDMENT) (DIET SUPPLEMENT)
REGULATIONS 2006
These Regulations provide for revised rates of Diet
Supplement under the Supplementary Welfare
Allowance Scheme. The Regulations streamline
the range of specified diets under the scheme
and extend the scope of the scheme to certain
qualified child dependants aged 18 or over and
under 22 in full‐time education.
The Regulations come into operation for new
claimants with effect from 3 April 2006.
The Regulations provide for an improvement
in the assessment of benefit and privilege for
Unemployment Assistance and Pre‐Retirement
Allowance. The assessment of benefit and
privilege will be abolished for those aged 25 years
and over living in the parental home with effect
from 1 February, 2006.
S.I. No. 145 of 2006
SOCIAL WELFARE (CONSOLIDATED PAYMENTS
PROVISIONS) (AMENDMENT) (No. 2) (CARER’S)
REGULATIONS 2006
Social Welfare legislation currently provides that
a person in receipt of Carer’s Benefit may engage
in employment or self‐employment outside the
home, subject to a maximum of ten hours per
week and an income ceiling of €270. Article 4(a)
of these Regulations increases the income ceiling
to €290 per week, effective from 6 April, 2006.
These Regulations further provide for an increase
in the income disregarded for the purposes of
Carer’s Allowance. In the case of a single person,
the increase is €20 per week, bringing the total
amount of the disregard to €290. In the case of a
married person, the disregard is increased by €40
per week, to a new total of €580. These changes
take effect from 6 April 2006.
S.I. No. 147 of 2006
SOCIAL WELFARE (CONSOLIDATED PAYMENTS
PROVISIONS) (AMENDMENT) (No. 1) (EARLY
CHILDCARE SUPPLEMENT) REGULATIONS 2006
These Regulations set out the dates on which
Early Childcare Supplement will be payable, for
the period April to December 2006.
The Regulations also:
• Provide for the disregard the Early Childcare
Supplement in determining the weekly family
income for the purposes of Family Income
Supplement;
• Include Early Childcare Supplement in the
definition of benefit, for the purposes of claims
and payments provisions;
• Determine the first day of the quarter in which
a child is born as being the date from which
Early Childcare Supplement becomes payable;
• Provide that the maximum period for which
Early Childcare Supplement may be backdated
is 6 months;
• In cases of shared custody of a qualified child
who resides on a part‐time basis with each of
his or her parents, Early Childcare Supplement
is payable to the parent with whom the child
resides for the greater part of the quarter, and
• Require recipients of Early Childcare
Supplement to return any payments not due as
a result of a change in their circumstances.
annual report 2006
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