Social welfare act, 1973

• Enactment Date: 27 June 1973
• Act Number: 10

Number 10 of 1973
SOCIAL WELFARE ACT, 1973
ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS
Section 1. Definitions. 2. Old age pensions (new rates and extension of means limits). 3. Unemployment assistance (new rates). 4. Widows' (non-contributory) pensions (new rates and extension of means limits). 5. Orphans' (non-contributory) pensions (new rates and extension of means limits). 6. Children's allowances (new rates and extension of age limit for qualified children). 7. Old age (care) allowance (new rate). 8. Social assistance allowance for unmarried mothers. 9. Removal of restriction on qualification for unemployment assistance in the case of certain widows and spinsters. 10. Removal of concession relating to certain cash income in calculating means for old age pensions. 11. Reduction of qualifying age for pension purposes. 12. Removal of remuneration limit in respect of insured persons. 13. New rates of voluntary contributions and removal of liability of certain widows, deserted wives and unmarried mothers for employment contributions. 14. Employment contributions (new rates). 15. Social insurance benefits (new rates). 16. Increase of certain rates of unemployment benefit. 17. Deserted wife's benefit. 18. Removal of restriction on married women in relation to certain benefits, and consequential abolition of marriage benefit. 19. Occupational injuries benefits (new rates). 20. Short title, construction and collective citation.
Acts Referred to Unemployment Assistance Act, 1933 1933, No. 46 Widows' and Orphans' Pensions Act, 1935 1935, No. 29 Children's Allowances (Amendment) Act, 1946 1946, No. 8 Social Welfare Act, 1952 1952, No. 11 Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1964 1964, No. 28 Social Welfare Act, 1970 1970, No. 12 Social Welfare Act, 1972 1972, No. 15 Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1969 1969, No. 19 Old Age Pensions Act, 1924 1924, No. 19 Social Welfare (Children's Allowances) Act, 1952 1952, No. 12 Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1961 1961, No. 22 Old Age Pensions Act, 1908 1908, c. 40 Old Age Pensions Act, 1932 1932, No. 18 Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1968 1968, No. 31 Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1965 1965, No. 20 Social Welfare (Amendment) Act, 1960 1960, No. 25 Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1967 1967, No. 18 Social Welfare (Pay-Related Benefit) Act, 1973 1973, No. 2 Social Welfare (Occupational Injuries) Act, 1966 1966, No. 16
Number 10 of 1973
SOCIAL WELFARE ACT, 1973
AN ACT TO AMEND AND EXTEND THE OLD AGE PENSIONS ACTS, 1908 TO 1972, THE UNEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE ACTS, 1933 TO 1972, THE WIDOWS' AND ORPHANS' PENSIONS ACTS, 1935 TO 1972, THE SOCIAL WELFARE (CHILDREN'S ALLOWANCES) ACTS, 1944 TO 1970, AND THE SOCIAL WELFARE ACTS, 1952 TO 1973. [27th June, 1973]
BE IT ENACTED BY THE OIREACHTAS AS FOLLOWS:
	Definitions.	1.—In this Act—
	“the Act of 1933” means the Unemployment Assistance Act, 1933 ;
	“the Act of 1935” means the Widows' and Orphans' Pensions Act, 1935 ;
	“the Act of 1946” means the Children's Allowances (Amendment) Act, 1946 ;
	“the Act of 1952” means the Social Welfare Act, 1952 ;
	“the Act of 1964” means the Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1964 ;
	“the Act of 1970” means the Social Welfare Act, 1970 ;
	“the Act of 1972” means the Social Welfare Act, 1972 ;
	“the Minister” means the Minister for Social Welfare.
	Old age pensions (new rates and extension of means limits).	2.—(1) Section 77 of the Act of 1952 is hereby amended by—
	(a) the substitution for subsection (2) (inserted by the Act of 1964) of the following subsection:
	“(2) A pension shall, in lieu of any other rate, be—
	(a) where the weekly means of the claimant or pensioner do not exceed £10.50—at the rate set forth in the Table to this subsection,
	(b) where the weekly means of the claimant or pensioner exceed £10.50—at the rate at which, in accordance with the said Table, the pension would be payable if the weekly means of the claimant or pensioner exceeded £9.50 but did not exceed £10.50, less £1 for each amount (if any) of £1 by which the said weekly means exceed £10.50, any fraction of £1 in the said weekly means being treated for this purpose as £1; provided that if the rate calculated pursuant to this paragraph at which, but for this proviso, the pension would be payable is less than 50 new pence, the pension shall not be payable, and
	(c) where the pensioner has attained the age of 80 years—at the rate of pension payable to him in accordance with paragraph (a) or (b) of this subsection plus 50 new pence, and
	for the purposes of this subsection weekly means shall be the yearly means divided by fifty-two.
	TABLE
	Rate of Pension
Weekly Rate 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 weekly means of the claimant or pensioner— do not exceed £4 6·15 7·80 9·45 } Plus, where there are more than two qualified children, £1.25 for each qualified child in excess of two. exceed £4 but do not exceed £5 5·15 6·80 8·45 exceed £5 but do not exceed £6 4·15 5·80 7·45 exceed £6 but do not exceed £7 3·15 4·80 6·45 exceed £7 but do not exceed £8 2·15 3·80 5·45 exceed £8 but do not exceed £9 1·15 2·80 4·45 exceed £9 but do not exceed £9·50 0·65 2·30 3·95 exceed £9·50 but do not exceed £10·50 no pension 1·30 2·95
	and
	(b) the substitution in subsection (5) (inserted by the Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1969 ) of “three pounds fifty new pence” for “three pounds” (inserted by the Act of 1972).
	(2) Section 8 of the Old Age Pensions Act, 1924 (as amended by the Act of 1972) is hereby amended by the substitution of “four hundred and ninety-four pounds” for “two hundred and seventy-three pounds and seventy-five new pence” in subsection 1 (i).
	(3) This section shall come into operation on the 6th day of July, 1973.
	Unemployment assistance (new rates).	3.—(1) In the Act of 1933 for the Schedule thereto (inserted by the Act of 1972) 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 £5·35 £5·05 Person with an adult dependant £9·25 £8·85 Person with an adult dependant and one child dependant £10·90 £10·50 Person with an adult dependant and two or more child dependants £12·55 plus, where there are more than two child dependants, £1·25 for each child dependant in excess of two. £12·15 plus, where there are more than two child dependants, £1·25 for each child dependant in excess of two. Person with one child dependant £7·15 £6·85 Person with two or more child dependants £8·80 plus, where there are more than two child dependants, £1·25 for each child dependant in excess of two. £8·50 plus, where there are more than two child dependants, £1·25 for each child dependant in excess of two.
	(2) This section shall come into operation on the 4th day of July, 1973.
	Widows' (non-contributory) pensions (new rates and extension of means limits).	4.—(1) Section 20 (inserted by section 105 of the Act of 1952) of the Act of 1935 is hereby amended by the substitution for subsection (1) of the following subsection:
	“(1) (a) A widow's (non-contributory) pension shall, subject to the provisions of this Act, be—
	(i) where the weekly means of the widow do not exceed £10.50—at the rate set forth in Table B to this subsection, and
	(ii) where the weekly means of the widow exceed £10.50—at the rate at which, in accordance with the said Table B, the pension would be payable to the widow if her weekly means exceeded £9.50 but did not exceed £10.50, less £1 for each amount (if any) of £1 by which the said weekly means exceed £10.50, any fraction of £1 in the said weekly means being treated for this purpose as £1.
	(b) For the purposes of this subsection, weekly means shall be the yearly means divided by fifty-two.
	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 weekly means of the widow— do not exceed £4 6·15 8·15 10·15 } Plus, where there are more than two qualified children, £2 for each qualified child in excess of two. exceed £4 but do not exceed £5 5·15 7·15 9·15 exceed £5 but do not exceed £6 4·15 6·15 8·15 exceed £6 but do not exceed £7 3·15 5·15 7·15 exceed £7 but do not exceed £8 2·15 4·15 6·15 exceed £8 but do not exceed £9 1·15 3·15 5·15 exceed £9 but do not exceed £9·50 0·65 2·65 4·65 exceed £9·50 but do not exceed£10.50 no pension 1·65 3·65
	”
	(2) This section shall come into operation...