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7 1988

SOCIAL WELFARE ACT, 1988

PART II

Increases

Social insurance benefits (new rates).

3. —(1) The Principal Act is hereby amended by the substitution for Parts I to IV (inserted by section 2 of the Act of 1987) of the Second Schedule thereto of the Parts set out in Schedule A to this Act.

(2) This section shall come into operation—

(a) in so far as it relates to unemployment benefit, on the 21st day of July, 1988,

(b) in so far as it relates to disability benefit, maternity allowance, injury benefit, disablement gratuity and disablement pension, on the 25th day of July, 1988,

(c) in so far as it relates to deserted wife's benefit, invalidity pension and retirement pension, on the 28th day of July, 1988, and

(d) in so far as it relates to death benefit under section 50, 51 or 52 of the Principal Act, old age (contributory) pension, widow's (contributory) pension and orphan's (contributory) allowance, on the 29th day of July, 1988.

Social assistance payments (new rates).

4. —(1) The Principal Act is hereby amended by the substitution for Parts I and III (inserted by section 3 of the Act of 1987) of the Fourth Schedule thereto of the Parts set out in Schedule B to this Act.

(2) This section shall come into operation—

(a) in so far as it relates to unemployment assistance, on the 20th day of July, 1988,

(b) in so far as it relates to deserted wife's allowance, prisoner's wife's allowance, social assistance allowance and single woman's allowance, on the 28th day of July, 1988,

(c) in so far as it relates to old age pension, blind pension, widow's (non-contributory) pension and orphan's (non-contributory) pension, on the 29th day of July, 1988, and

(d) in so far as it relates to supplementary welfare allowance, on the 25th day of July, 1988.

Family Income Supplement.

5. —(1) Section 232B (inserted by section 13 of the Social Welfare Act, 1984 ) of the Principal Act is hereby amended by—

(a) the substitution in paragraph (a) for “£104” (inserted by section 4 of the Act of 1987) of “£108”, and

(b) the substitution for paragraph (b) (amended by the said section 4) of the following paragraph:

“(b) in the case of a family which includes more than one child, £108 increased by—

(i) £23 for each additional child up to and including the fifth child, or

(ii) such amounts as may be prescribed for each additional child up to and including such number of children as may be prescribed.”.

(2) Section 232C(2) (inserted by section 13 of the Social Welfare Act, 1984 ) of the Principal Act is hereby amended by the substitution for paragraph (b) (amended by section 4 of the Act of 1987) of the following paragraph:

“(b) in the case of a family which includes more than one child, £16 increased by—

(i) £7 for each additional child up to and including the fifth child, or

(ii) such rates as may be prescribed for each additional child up to and including such number of children as may be prescribed.”.

(3) Subsection (1) of this section shall apply to any claim for family income supplement which is received on or after the 28th day of July, 1988.

Pay-related social insurance contributions (increase in earnings ceiling).

6. —(1) Section 10 (1) of the Principal Act is hereby amended by the substitution for paragraph (c) (inserted by section 5 of the Act of 1987) of the following paragraph:

“(c) Where in a particular contribution year an employed contributor's reckonable earnings have amounted to the sum of £16,200 and contributions under paragraph (b) have been paid in respect of those reckonable earnings, no further such contribution shall be payable in respect of any reckonable earnings of that employed contributor in that contribution year.”.

(2) This section shall come into operation on the 6th day of April, 1988.

Employment contributions.

7. —(1) Section 65 of the Principal Act is hereby amended by the substitution in paragraphs (a) (ii) and (b) of subsection (2) for “0.43 per cent.” (inserted by section 7 of the Act of 1986) of “0.5 per cent.”.

(2) This section shall come into operation on the 6th day of April, 1988.

Pay-related benefit.

8. —(1) Section 73 (inserted by section 7 of the Act of 1987) of the Principal Act is hereby amended by the substitution for “£62” of “£66”.

(2) This section shall have effect in relation to any period of interruption of employment commencing on or after the 4th day of April, 1988.

Amendment of section 15 of Principal Act (regulations for contributions, etc.).

9. —Section 15 (1) of the Principal Act is hereby amended by the insertion after paragraph (c) of the following paragraph:

“(cc) the waiving of interest due on arrears of employment contributions.”.