Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

“Iris Oifigiúil” of 15th March, 2022.

I, HEATHER HUMPHREYS, Minister for Social Protection, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 4 (adapted by the Employment Affairs and Social Protection (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2020 ( S.I. No. 447 of 2020 )), and by Reference 19 in Table 2 to Schedule 3 to the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 (No. 26 of 2005), with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, hereby make the following Regulations:

Citation and construction

1. (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Social Welfare (Consolidated Claims, Payments and Control) (Amendment) (No. 3) (Income Disregard) Regulations 2022.

(2) These Regulations and the Social Welfare (Consolidated Claims, Payments and Control) Regulations 2007 to 2022 shall be construed together as one and may be cited together as the Social Welfare (Consolidated Claims, Payments and Control) Regulations 2007 to 2022.

Commencement

2. These Regulations shall have effect from 31 January 2022.

Disregard of Certain Income

3. Article 155(db) (inserted by article 3 of the Social Welfare (Consolidated Claims, Payments and Control) (Amendment) (No. 10) (Income Disregard) Regulations 2021 ( S.I. No. 109 of 2021 )) of the Social Welfare (Consolidated Claims, Payments and Control) Regulations 2007 (S.I. I42 of 2007) is amended, by the insertion of “or blind pension” after “disability allowance”.

The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform consents to the foregoing Regulations.

GIVEN under my Official Seal,

27 January, 2022.

MICHAEL MCGRATH,

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.

GIVEN under my Official Seal,

27 January, 2022.

HEATHER HUMPHREYS,

Minister for Social Protection.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

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

In March 2021, the Social Welfare (Consolidated Claims, Payments and Control) (Amendment) (No. 10) (Income Disregard) Regulations 2021 ( S.I. No. 109 of 2021 ) introduced an income disregard for Disability Allowance recipients who have been awarded a bursary, stipend or scholarship towards completing a PhD. The disregard is subject to an annual limit of €20,000 per annum (i.e. if a recipient gets more than one bursary, the combination cannot exceed €20,000). The disregard is available for a maximum of four years.

These Regulations, in line with Budget 2022, amend article 155 of the Social Welfare (Consolidated Claims, Payments and Control) Regulations 2007 to extend to those in receipt of Blind Pension the same disregard.