Social Welfare Act 2006
Acts of the Oireachtas
Source: Acts of the Oireachtas

num: 1
paragraphs: — In this Act—
“ Act of 2005 ” means the Social Welfare Act 2005 ;
“ Act of 2006 ” means the Social Welfare Law Reform and Pensions Act 2006 ;
“ Principal Act ” means the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 .
num: 2
paragraphs: — (1) The Parts set out in Schedule 1 are substituted for Parts 1 to 5 of Schedule 2 (as amended by section 4 of the Act of 2006) to the Principal Act.
(2) This section comes into operation—
(a) in so far as it relates to jobseeker’s benefit, on 28 December 2006,
(b) in so far as it relates to illness benefit, health and safety benefit, injury benefit and disablement gratuity, on 1 January 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 4 January 2007, 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 5 January 2007.
(3) In its application to death benefit under section 84 of the Principal Act or bereavement grant, this section has effect in respect of persons whose entitlement to death benefit under the said section 84 or bereavement grant arises on or after 6 December 2006.
num: 3
paragraphs: — (1) The Parts set out in Schedule 2 are substituted for Parts 1 to 3 of Schedule 4 (as amended by sections 4 and 16(1) of the Act of 2006) to the Principal Act.
(2) This section comes into operation—
(a) in so far as it relates to jobseeker’s allowance, pre-retirement allowance and farm assist, on 27 December 2006,
(b) in so far as it relates to supplementary welfare allowance, on 1 January 2007,
(c) in so far as it relates to disability allowance, on 3 January 2007,
(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 4 January 2007, 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 5 January 2007.
num: 4
paragraphs: — (1) The following section is substituted for section 228 (as amended by section 4(1) of the Act of 2005) 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, €480,
(b) in the case of a family which includes 2 children, €550,
(c) in the case of a family which includes 3 children, €625,
(d) in the case of a family which includes 4 children, €720,
(e) in the case of a family which includes 5 children, €820,
(f) in the case of a family which includes 6 children, €910,
(g) in the case of a family which includes 7 children, €1,020, or
(h) in the case of a family which includes 8 or more children, €1,090.”.
(2) This section comes into operation on 4 January 2007.
num: 5
paragraphs: — (1) Section 13(2) (as amended by section 5(1) of the Act of 2005) of the Principal Act is amended—
(a) in paragraph (a) by substituting “€339” for “€300”,
(b) in paragraph (b) by substituting “€339” for “€300”, and
(c) in paragraph (c) by substituting “€48,800” for “€46,600”.
(2) This section comes into operation on 1 January 2007.
num: 6
paragraphs: — (1) Section 29(1)(b) (as amended by section 6(1) of the Act of 2005) of the Principal Act is amended by substituting “€48,800” for “€46,600”.
(2) This section comes into operation on 1 January 2007.
num: 7
paragraphs: — (1) Section 47 (as amended by section 7 of the Act of 2005) of the Principal Act is amended—
(a) in subsection (4)(a) by substituting “fortieth” for “thirty-second”,
and
(b) in subsection (5)—
(i) in paragraph (b) by substituting “26” for “22”, and
(ii) in paragraph (c)(ii)—
(I) by substituting “twenty-fourth” for “twentieth” in each place where it occurs, and
(II) by substituting “fortieth” for “thirty-second” in each place where it occurs.
(2) This section comes into operation on 1 March 2007.
num: 8
paragraphs: — (1) Section 58(4)(b) (as amended by section 8 of the Act of 2005) of the Principal Act is amended by substituting “24” for “20” in each place where it occurs.
(2) This section comes into operation on 1 March 2007.
num: 9
paragraphs: — (1) Section 137(1) (as amended by section 18 of the Act of 2006) of the Principal Act is amended by substituting “€4,000” for “€2,700”.
(2) This section has effect in respect of persons whose entitlement to a widowed parent grant arises on or after 6 December 2006.
num: 10
paragraphs: — (1) Section 156(2)(a) (as amended by section 16(1) of the Act of 2006) of the Principal Act is amended by substituting “€30.00” for “€20.00” in each place where it occurs.
(2) This section comes into operation on 5 January 2007.
num: 11
paragraphs: — (1) Subsections (3) to (7) of section 210 of the Principal Act are repealed.
(2) This section comes into operation on 3 January 2007.
num: 12
paragraphs: — (1) The following paragraph is substituted for paragraph 2 of Part 3 of Schedule 1 to the Principal Act:
“2. A self-employed contributor who by virtue of Chapter 3 of Part 3 is in receipt of pre-retirement allowance.”.
(2) This section comes into operation on 1 January 2007.
num: 13
paragraphs: — (1) The Health Contributions Act 1979 is amended—
(a) in section 5 by inserting the following after subsection (1):
“(1A) Notwithstanding subsection (1) of this section and subject to subsection (1B) of this section, where the amount of reckonable earnings paid exceeds—
(a) €1,925, in the case where the period in respect of which the payment concerned is made is a week, or
(b) a corresponding amount, in the case where the period in respect of which the payment concerned is made is greater or less than a week,
the health contribution payable under this section shall be calculated at the rate of—
(i) 2 per cent of €1,925 or of the corresponding amount, as the case may be, and
(ii) 2.5 per cent of the amount of the excess.
(1B) Where an individual’s reckonable earnings for a particular contribution year do not exceed €100,100, subsection (1A)(ii) of this section shall be construed as if ‘2 per cent’ were substituted for ‘2.5 per cent’ and any health contributions overpaid in respect of that contribution year shall be repaid to the individual.”,
(b) in section 6 by inserting the following after subsection (1):
“(1A) Notwithstanding subsection (1) of this section and subject to subsection (1B) of this section, where the amount of reckonable emoluments paid exceeds—
(a) €1,925, in the case where the period in respect of which the payment concerned is made is a week, or
(b) a corresponding amount, in the case where the period in respect of which the payment concerned is made is greater or less than a week,
the health contribution payable under this section shall be calculated at the rate of—
(i) 2 per cent of €1,925 or of the corresponding amount, as the case may be, and
(ii) 2.5 per cent of the amount of the excess.
(1B) Where an individual’s reckonable emoluments for a particular contribution year do not exceed €100,100, subsection (1A)(ii) of this section shall be construed as if ‘2 per cent’ were substituted for ‘2.5 per cent’ and any health contributions overpaid in respect of that contribution year shall be repaid to the individual.”,
(c) by substituting the following for section 7:
“7.— Where, in relation to an individual referred to in section 4 of this Act, reckonable income other than emoluments arises in any contribution year, the health contribution payable by that individual for that contribution year in relation to that reckonable income shall be calculated at the rate of—
(a) 2 per cent of that reckonable income where that reckonable income is not more than €100,100, and
(b) where that reckonable income exceeds €100,100, 2.5 per cent of the amount of the excess.”,
and
(d) in section 7A (as amended by section 13 of the Act of 2005)—
(i) in subsection (1)—
(I) in paragraph (a) by substituting “€480” for “€440”, and
(II) in paragraph (b) by substituting “€24,960” for “€22,880”,
and
(ii) in subsection (2) by substituting “€24,960” for “€22,880”.
(2) This section comes into operation on 1 January 2007.
num: 14
paragraphs: — (1) This Act may be cited as the Social Welfare Act 2006.
(2) The Social Welfare Acts and this Act (other than section 13 ) shall be read together as one.