S.I. No. 182 of 2005

SOCIAL WELFARE AND PENSIONS ACT 2005 (SECTIONS 16, 24, 25 and 26) (COMMENCEMENT) ORDER 2005

S.I. No. 182 of 2005

SOCIAL WELFARE AND PENSIONS ACT 2005 (SECTIONS 16, 24, 25 and 26) (COMMENCEMENT) ORDER 2005

The Minister for Social and Family Affairs, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by section 1(4) of the Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2005 (No. 4 of 2005), hereby orders as follows:

Citation.

1.   This Order may be cited as the Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2005 (Sections 16, 24, 25 and 26) (Commencement) Order 2005.

Commencement.

2.   (a)  The 1st day of June 2005 is appointed as the day on which section 16 of the Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2005 ( No. 4 of 2005 ), comes into operation,

(b)  The 7th day of April 2005 is appointed as the day on which sections 24 and 25 of the Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2005 (No. 4 of 2005), in so far as they relate to carer's allowance, come into operation,

(c)  The 1st day of June 2005 is appointed as the day on which sections 24 and 25 of the Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2005 (No. 4 of 2005), in so far as they relate to unemployment assistance, disability allowance, pre-retirement allowance and farm assist, come into operation,

(d)  The 2nd day of June 2005 is appointed as the day on which sections 24 and 25 of the Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2005 (No. 4 of 2005), in so far as they relate to old age (non-contributory) pension, blind pension, widow's or widower's (non-contributory) pension, one-parent family payment, orphan's (non-contributory) pension and a relevant payment by virtue of section 18(1) (b) or (c) of the Social Welfare Act 1996 (No. 7 of 1996), come into operation,

(e)  The 6th day of June 2005 is appointed as the day on which sections 24 and 25 of the Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2005 (No. 4 of 2005), in so far as they relate to supplementary welfare allowance, come into operation, and

(f)   The 11th day of April 2005 is appointed as the day on which section 26 of the Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2005 ( No. 4 of 2005 ) comes into operation.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Instrument and does not purport to be a legal interpretation.)

This Order provides for the commencement of Sections 16, 24, 25 and 26 of the Social Welfare and Pensions Act, 2005.

Sections 16 provides for the automatic award of Bereavement Grant and the application of the six weeks’ after death payment arrangements without the necessity for referral to a Deciding Officer.

Section 24 provides for the substitution of the Third Schedule to the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act 1993 , which contains the rules governing the calculation of means, with a re-organised, accessible version of the text. Section 25 provides for further amendments which are required on foot of the revised Third Schedule.

Section 26 provides for a number of technical and textual amendments to the text of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act 1993 which are required in advance of the proposed consolidation of Social Welfare primary legislation.