Social welfare act, 1971

• Act Number: 16
• Enactment Date: 14 July 1971

Number 16 of 1971
SOCIAL WELFARE ACT, 1971
ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS
Section 1. Interpretation. 2. Increase of rates of old age pensions. 3. Increase of rates of unemployment assistance. 4. Increase of certain rates of unemployment benefit. 5. Increase of rates of widows' (non-contributory) pensions. 6. Increase of rates of orphans' (non-contributory) pensions. 7. Amendment of section 6 of Act of 1952. 8. Amendment of section 8 of Act of 1952. 9. Amendment of section 35 of Act of 1952. 10. Amendment of section 52 of Act of 1952. 11. Amendment of Second Schedule to Act of 1952. 12. Amendment of Third Schedule to Act of 1952. 13. Amendment of Seventh Schedule to Act of 1952. 14. Restriction of section 13 of Act of 1966 and of certain regulations under section 32 of Act of 1952. 15. Amendment of Social Welfare (Occupational Injuries) Act, 1966. 16. Short title, construction and collective citation.
SCHEDULE
Acts Referred to Widows' and Orphans' Pensions Act, 1935 1935, No. 29 Social Welfare Act, 1952 1952, No. 11 Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1966 1966, No. 24 Social Welfare Act, 1970 1970, No. 12 Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1964 1964, No. 28 Old Age Pensions Act, 1924 1924, No. 19 Unemployment Assistance Act, 1933 1933, No. 46 Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1967 1967, No. 18 Social Welfare (Amendment) Act, 1960 1960, No. 25 Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1960 1960, No. 28 Social Welfare (Occupational Injuries) Act, 1966 1966, No. 16
Number 16 of 1971
SOCIAL WELFARE ACT, 1971
AN ACT TO AMEND AND EXTEND THE OLD AGE PENSIONS ACTS, 1908 TO 1970, THE UNEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE ACTS, 1933 TO 1970, THE WIDOWS' AND ORPHANS' PENSIONS ACTS, 1935 TO 1970, AND THE SOCIAL WELFARE ACTS, 1952 TO 1970. [14th July, 1971.]
BE IT ENACTED BY THE OIREACHTAS AS FOLLOWS:
	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 1970” means the Social Welfare Act, 1970 .
	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 sixty pounds and seventy-five new pence” for “two hundred and forty-seven pounds and fifteen shillings” 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 forty-seven pounds and seventy-five new pence” for “two hundred and thirty-four pounds and fifteen shillings” in subsection (2),
	(c) the substitution of “forty new pence” for “five shillings” where it lastly occurs in subsection (2) (b), and
	(d) the substitution for the Table to subsection (2) (inserted by the Act of 1970) of the Table to this subsection.
	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 4·65 5·40 6·15 } Plus, where there are more than two qualified children, fifty new pence for each qualified child in excess of two. exceed Nil but do not exceed £26·25 4·40 5·15 5·90 exceed £26·25 but do not exceed £52·50 4·15 4·90 5·65 exceed £52·50 but do not exceed £65·50 3·90 4·65 5·40 exceed £65·50 but do not exceed £78·50 3·65 4·40 5·15 exceed £78·50 but do not exceed £104·75 3·40 4·15 4·90 exceed £104·75 but do not exceed £117·75 3·15 3·90 4·65 exceed £117·75 but do not exceed £130·75 2·90 3·65 4·40 exceed £130·75 but do not exceed £143·75 2·65 3·40 4·15 exceed £143·75 but do not exceed £156·75 2·40 3·15 3·90 exceed £156·75 but do not exceed £169·75 2·15 2·90 3·65 exceed £169·75 but do not exceed £182·75 1·90 2·65 3·40 exceed £182·75 but do not exceed £195·75 1·65 2·40 3·15 exceed £195·75 but do not exceed £208·75 1·40 2·15 2·90 exceed £208·75 but do not exceed £221·75 1·15 1·90 2·65 exceed £221·75 but do not exceed £234·75 0·90 1·65 2·40 exceed £234·75 but do not exceed £247·75 0·65 1·40 2·15 exceed £247·75 but do not exceed £260·75 0·40 1·15 1·90
	(2) Section 8 of the Old Age Pensions Act, 1924 (as amended by the Act of 1970) is hereby amended by the substitution of “two hundred and sixty pounds and seventy-five new pence” for “two hundred and forty-seven pounds and fifteen shillings” in subsection (1) (i).
	(3) Subsections (1) and (2) of this section shall come into operation on the 6th day of August, 1971.
	Increase of rates of unemployment assistance.	3.—(1) In the Unemployment Assistance Act, 1933 , for the Schedule thereto (inserted by the Act of 1970) 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 £3·95 £3·65 Person with an adult dependant £7·05 £6·65 Person with an adult dependant and one child dependant £7·80 £7·40 Person with an adult dependant and two or more child dependants £8·55 plus, where there are more than two child dependants, 50p for each child dependant in excess of two. £8·15 plus, where there are more than two child dependants, 50p for each child dependant in excess of two. Person with one child dependant £4·85 £4·55 Person with two or more child dependants £5·60 plus, where there are more than two child dependants, 50p for each child dependant in excess of two. £5·30 plus, where there are more than two child dependants, 50p for each child dependant in excess of two.
	(2) Subsection (1) of this section shall come into operation on the 28th day of July, 1971.
	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 1970) 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 £4·10 — £0·75 £0·50 Any other person £3·95 £3·10 £0·75 £0·50
	(2) Subsection (1) of this section shall come into operation on the 29th day of July, 1971.
	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 1970) of the following:
	“(b) (i) where the yearly means of the widow as duly calculated do not exceed two hundred and sixty 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 sixty 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 forty-seven pounds and seventy-five new pence but did not exceed two hundred and sixty 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 sixty 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 forty new pence a week, the pension shall not be payable”,
	and
	(b) the substitution for Table B (inserted by the Act of 1970) 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 4·65 5·55 6·45 } Plus, where there are more than two qualified children, 90 new pence for each qualified child in excess of two. exceed Nil but do not exceed £26·25 4·40 5·30 6·20 exceed £26·25 but do not exceed £52·50 4·15 5·05 5·95 exceed £52·50 but do not exceed £65·50 3·90 4·80 5·70 exceed £65·50 but do not exceed £78·50 3·65 4·55 5·45 exceed £78·50 but do not exceed £104·75 3·40 4·30 5·20 exceed £104·75 but do not exceed £117·75 3·15 4·05 4·95

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