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S.I. No. 168/1977 -- Social Welfare (Supplementary Welfare Allowances) Regulations, 1977.

S.I. No. 168/1977 -- Social Welfare (Supplementary Welfare Allowances) Regulations, 1977. 1977 168

S.I. No. 168/1977:

SOCIAL WELFARE (SUPPLEMENTARY WELFARE ALLOWANCES) REGULATIONS, 1977.

SOCIAL WELFARE (SUPPLEMENTARY WELFARE ALLOWANCES) REGULATIONS, 1977.

The Minister for Social Welfare, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by sections 4 , 8 , 11 , 20 , 21 and 25 of the Social Welfare (Supplementary Welfare Allowances) Act, 1975 (No. 28 of 1975), hereby makes the following Regulations:--

PART I. GENERAL.

Short Title.

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Social Welfare (Supplementary Welfare Allowances) Regulations, 1977.
Commencement.

2. These Regulations shall come into operation on the 1st day of July, 1977.
Interpretation.

3. In these Regulations unless the context otherwise requires: --

"the Act" means the Social Welfare (Supplementary Welfare Allowances) Act, 1975 (No. 28 of 1975);

"the Act of 1952" means the Social Welfare Act, 1952 (No. 11 of 1952);

"the Regulations of 1953" means the Social Welfare (General Benefit) Regulations, 1953 ( S.I. No. 16 of 1953 );

"allowance" means a supplementary welfare allowance granted under the Act including any element in respect of the needs of an adult or child dependant;

"institution" means a hospital, convalescent home or home for persons suffering from physical or mental disability or accommodation ancillary thereto and any other establishment providing residence, maintenance or care for the persons therein.
Persons in full-time employment.

4. Section 4 (1) of the Act shall not apply to a person becoming engaged in remunerative full-time work until the expiration of a period of 15 days after the commencement of the engagement.
Registration for employment.

5. (1) The provisions of section 8 of the Act which enable a health board to determine that a person shall not be entitled to an allowance unless he is registered for employment shall not apply in respect of any of the following persons:--

( a ) a person over pensionable age as defined in section 2 (1) of the Act of 1952;

( b ) a person who satisfies the health board that he is incapable of work by reason of some specific disease or bodily or mental disablement.

(2) Where a health board determines under section 8 of the Act that the entitlement of any person to an allowance shall be subject to the condition that he is registered for employment he shall be required to be so registered by attending at an office or place appointed by the Minister for the purpose of claiming unemployment assistance under the Unemployment Assistance Acts, 1933 to 1977, on such occasions as he would be required to attend if he were claiming unemployment assistance and by there signing a form approved by the Minister which includes a declaration as to his unemployment and ability and willingness to do any suitable work.
Additions to weekly amount of allowance and other income.

6. (1) The weekly amount of an allowance payable to a person to whom section 11 (1) (a) of the Act applies may be increased under the said section--

( a ) where the rent payable by such person, or by a person whose needs are aggregated with his under section 9 (2) (c) of the Act, in respect of his or their place of residence exceeds £1.50 a week;

( b ) where the person is living alone or only with persons who are dependent on him for support and such person has, due to his ill-health or infirmity or that of any of the persons living with him, exceptional needs by reason of his having to maintain a high standard of heating in his place of residence;

( c ) where the person or any dependant of his has, due to a health condition, special dietary needs, or

( d ) where, in circumstances other than those specified in paragraphs (a) to (c) above, the health board, by reason of the exceptional needs of such person, determines that the weekly payment is not sufficient to meet the person's needs.

(2) Subject to the provisions of sub-article (6) of this article, the amount of an increase of a weekly payment to be provided to a person under sub-article (1) of this article shall be as determined by the health board except that, in respect of rent, the amount of the increase shall be the amount by which the rent payable by the person, or by a person whose needs are aggregated with his under section 9 (2) (c) of the Act, exceeds £1.50 a week, or such part of that amount as the health board considers reasonable in the circumstances.

(3) Where a person to whom section 11 (1) (b) of the Act applies has income which is not sufficient to meet his needs, a weekly payment of an allowance may, subject to the provisions of sub-article (6) of this article, be made to him of such amount as, when taken together with his other income, is determined by the health board to be appropriate to meet such needs.

(4) For the purpose of sub-article (1) (a) of this article--

( a ) "rent" means rent and so much of any outgoings borne by the householder as is attributable to one week, including, in particular,

(i) rates payable to a local authority which does not operate a scheme for the waiver of rates under section 2 of the Local Government (Rates) Act, 1970 (No. 2 of 1970), and

(ii) such proportion as is for the time being attributable to interest, of any sum payable in respect of a mortgage debt entered into prior to the date on which the allowance commences to be payable and which is charged on the house in which such person resides, or on any interest in such house,

less any proceeds of sub-letting any part of the premises in respect of which the rent is paid or the outgoings are incurred;

( b ) Where a person other than an adult dependant or a child dependant of the householder resides other than as a sub-tenant in the premises for which the rent is paid, the amount payable in respect of rent under sub-article (2) of this article may be reduced by an amount not exceeding such part of that rent as is reasonably attributable to that other person.

(5) Where a health board determines that an increase of an allowance under sub-article (1) or an allowance under sub-article (3) of this article is payable to a person in respect of heating needs, such increase or allowance may be granted in the form of an allowance in kind where the health board considers it appropriate in the circumstances.

(6) An increase of a weekly payment of an allowance under sub-articles (1) and (2) or an allowance under sub-article (3) of this article shall not, without the consent of the Minister, exceed £5 a week.
Footwear for child dependants.

7. A health board may, in accordance with the general directions of the Minister, arrange for the provision of footwear for a child dependant of a person who because of insufficient means is unable to provide such footwear.
Persons in institutions.

8. (1) Subject to the provisions of sub-article (2) of this article, an allowance shall not be paid to or in respect of a person who is maintained in an institution.

(2) Where a person in receipt of an allowance, or in respect of whom an allowance is payable, is admitted to and maintained in an institution, the health board may make out of the allowance all or part of such of the following payments as the health board thinks proper in the circumstances to make and which fall to be made by the person, that is to say--

( a ) rent within the meaning of sub-article (4) of article 6 of these Regulations;

( b ) instalments under hire purchase or credit sale agreements;

( c ) reasonable personal expenses.

PART II. CLAIMS AND PAYMENTS.

Claims to be made to health boards.

9. Every claim for an allowance shall be made in writing to a health board in the form for the time being approved by the Minister or in such other manner as may be acceptable to the health board in the circumstances of any particular case or class of cases.
Information to be given when making a claim for allowance.

10. Every person who makes a claim for an allowance shall furnish such certificates, documents, information and evidence for the purpose of determining the claim as may be required by a health board and shall for that purpose attend, if so required, at such office or place as the board may direct.
Time for making claims.

11. (1) A claim for an allowance shall be made not later than the first day of the period to which it relates.

(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in the foregoing sub-article a health board, where it is satisfied that there are exceptional circumstances so justifying in any particular case, may treat a claim as having been made on such date as it may determine.
Time and manner of payment of allowance.

12. (1) An allowance shall be paid in accordance with a determination under the provisions of the Act as soon as is reasonably practicable after such determination has been made either--

( a ) by cheque issued by post to the residence of the beneficiary or any other person to whom the allowance is payable on behalf of the beneficiary, or

( b ) by such other means as may appear to the health board to be appropriate in any particular case or class of cases.

(2) Payments of an allowance shall be made not less frequently than weekly except where the weekly amount of the allowance is less than 50p in which case payment may be made at less frequent intervals.

(3) Notwithstanding anything contained in the foregoing sub-article, where a health board is satisfied that payment of an allowance less frequently than weekly would be appropriate in any particular case or class of cases it may, subject to the Minister's approval, arrange accordingly.
Duration of claim.

13. (1) Save as otherwise provided by this article a determination of a health board granting an allowance shall be effective for a period not exceeding four weeks.

(2) A health board may, from time to time, in any case in which it is satisfied that the need for an allowance continues, extend for a period not exceeding thirteen weeks the period for which the allowance may be paid under any determination made by it without requiring renewed application.

(3) Where an allowance is payable by virtue only of section 11 of the Act or where a beneficiary is incapable of maintaining himself and his dependants by reason of old age or any permanent physical or mental disability, a determination granting an allowance shall be effective for any period the health board may consider appropriate but any such determination shall be reconsidered by the health board not less frequently than once in every twelve months.
Extinguishment of right to allowance not obtained within the prescribed time.

14. The right to any sum payable by way of an allowance shall be extinguished where payment thereof is not obtained within three months or, where in any particular case the health board so approves, six months from the date on which that sum is payable under article 12 of these Regulations.
Persons unable to act.

15. (1) Where a claimant or beneficiary is unable for the time being to act or is a child under the age of sixteen, a health board may appoint some other person to exercise on behalf of such claimant or beneficiary any right or power which such claimant or beneficiary may be entitled to exercise under the Act and any such person may receive and deal with any sum payable by way of an allowance on behalf of such claimant or beneficiary.

(2) The health board may at any time revoke the appointment of a person appointed under sub-article (1) of this article.

(3) Anything required to be done by or under the Act to a claimant or beneficiary may be done as respects a claimant or beneficiary who is unable to act or is a child under the age of sixteen to the person appointed under this article to act for such claimant or beneficiary.
Allowance paid to other than beneficiary.

16. Where it appears to a health board that it is necessary for protecting the interests of a claimant or of his dependants that the whole or part of the allowance should be issued to some other person, or where the claimant so requests, the health board may determine that it shall be so issued.

PART III. APPLICATION OF CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF OR MADE UNDER THE SOCIAL WELFARE ACTS, 1952 TO 1977.

Application of Social Welfare Acts, 1952 to 1977 and regulations.

17. (1) The provisions of the enactments and regulations mentioned in the first column of the First Schedule hereto shall apply to an allowance and in such application shall be modified so that the said provisions shall read as set out in the second column of the said Schedule.

(2) In the Second column of the First Schedule hereto--

"the Act" shall be construed as a reference to the Social Welfare (Supplementary Welfare Allowances) Act, 1975 ;

"the Act of 1952" shall be construed as a reference to the Social Welfare Act, 1952 ;

"an allowance" shall be construed as a reference to a supplementary welfare allowance granted under the Act including any element in respect of the needs of an adult or child dependant.

PART IV. MANNER AND TIME OF PAYMENTS BY LOCAL AUTHORITIES TO HEALTH BOARDS

Payments by local authorities to health boards.

18. (1) In this article--

"local authority" means a local authority which, immediately before the appointed day, was a public assistance authority;

"health board" means the health board in whose functional area the functional area of any such local authority is included;

"quarter" means a period of three months commencing on the 1st day of January, the 1st day of April, the 1st day of July and the 1st day of October;

"appointed day" means the appointed day for the purposes of section 20 of the Act.

(2) In the year in which the appointed day occurs, and in each year following that year, every local authority shall make interim payments on account of the sum payable by the local authority to the health board in accordance with subsections (1) and (2) of section 20 of the Act.

(3) An interim payment shall be made by a local authority to the health board in each quarter of the year after the appointed day, including the quarter in which the appointed day occurs, not later than the last day of the quarter.

(4) Interim payments by a local authority to a health board in any year shall be of sums specified by the Minister and calculated in accordance with estimates furnished by health boards pursuant to section 19 of the Act.

(5) When the amount due to be paid by a local authority to a health board in accordance with subsections (1) and (2) of section 20 of the Act is established in respect of the year in which the appointed day occurs, or in respect of each subsequent year, an adjusting payment, taking account of the interim payments, shall be thereupon due and shall be made by the local authority to the health board or by the health board to the local authority, as appropriate, in respect of the difference between the interim payments and the amount due to be paid by the local authority.

PART V. ADAPTATION OF ENACTMENTS AND REGULATIONS.

Adaptation of enactments and regulations.

19. (1) In any statute, order or regulation which is in force on the coming into operation of these Regulations--

( a ) every mention of or reference to a public assistance authority shall have effect as a mention of or reference to a health board administering functions under the Act; and

( b ) every mention of or reference to home assistance shall have effect as a mention of or reference to supplementary welfare allowance.

(2) Sub-article (1) of this article shall not apply to section 62 of the Act of 1952 or to the said section as applied by or under any enactment or to section 55 of the Social Welfare Act, 1948 (No. 17 of 1948).

(3) Each of the enactments and regulations mentioned in the first column of the Second Schedule hereto shall be adapted in the manner and to the extent specified in the second column of the said Schedule.

FIRST SCHEDULE.

Article 17
Title Modification
Section 31 of the Act of 1952. 31. (1) A person shall be disqualified for receiving an allowance for any period during which that person--

(a) is absent from the State, or

(b) is undergoing penal servitude, imprisonment or detention in legal custody.
(2) If any allowance to which a person is entitled includes an element in respect of the needs of an adult or child dependant, the element shall not be payable for any period during which such dependant--

(a) is absent from the State, or

(b) is undergoing penal servitude, imprisonment or detention in legal custody.
Section 33 of the Act of 1952. 33. (1) Subject to the provisions of the Act, every assignment of, or charge on, an allowance, and every agreement to assign or charge an allowance, shall be void, and, on the bankruptcy of the beneficiary, the allowance shall not pass to any trustee or other person acting on behalf of his creditors.
(2) Any sum received by any person by way of an allowanace shall not be included in calculating his means for the purposes of section 6 of the Debtors Act (Ireland), 1872.
Subsections (1) and (5) of section 46 of the Act of 1952. 46. (1) An officer of a health board who is authorised to determine entitlement to an allowance may, at any time and from time to time, revise (including revision by way of reversal) any determination of entitlement to such allowance if it appears to him that the determination was erroneous in the light of new evidence or of new facts which have been brought to his notice since the date on which the determination was given or if it appears to him in a case where an allowance has been payable that there has been any relevant change of circumstances since the determination was given.
(5) A revised determination of entitlement to an allowance shall take effect as follows:--

(a) where an allowance will, by virtue of the revised determination, be disallowed or reduced and the revised determination is given owing to the original determination having been given, or having continued in effect, by reason of any statement or representation (whether written or oral) which was to the knowledge of the person making it false or misleading in a material respect or by reason of the wilful concealment of any material fact, it shall take effect as from the date on which the original determination took effect, but, in a case in which the allowance is by way of periodical payment, the original determination may, in the discretion of the officer, continue to apply to any period covered by such original determination to which such false or misleading statement or repreentation or such wilful concealment of any material fact does not relate,

(b) in any other case, it shall take effect as from the date considered appropriate by the officer, but any payment of an allowance already made at the date of the revision shall not be affected.
Section 50 of the Act of 1952. 50. Where, for the purposes of the Act or regulations thereunder, the age, marriage or death of any person is required to be proved by the production of a certificate of birth, marriage, or death, any person shall, on presenting a written request in such form and containing such particulars as may be directed by the Minister for Health, be entitled free of charge to obtain a certified copy of the entry of the birth, marriage, or death (as the case may be) of that person in the register of births, marriages, or deaths (as the case may be) under the hand of the registrar or superintendent registrar or other person having the custody thereof.
Section 51 of the Act of 1952. 51. Stamp duty shall not be chargeable on any cheque or other document by which a payment of an allowance is made.
Section 52 (1) (b), (c) and (d) of the Act of 1952 as substituted by section 4 of the Social Welfare (No. 2) Act, 1976 (No. 28 of 1976).

52. (1) (b) If any person, for the purposes of obtaining an allowance, whether for himself or some other person, or for any purpose connected with the Act--

(i) knowingly makes any false statement or false representation or knowingly conceals any material fact, or

(ii) produces or furnishes, or causes or knowingly allows to be produced or furnished, any document or information which he knows to be false in a material particular,
he shall be guilty of an offence.

(c) Where a person aids, abets, counsels or procures an employee of his to commit any offence under paragraph (b) of this subsection or conspires with the employee for the commission by the employee of any such offence,

such person shall be guilty of an offence.

(d) A person who is guilty of an offence under this subsection shall be liable---

(i) on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding £500 or (at the discretion of the court) to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year, or to both such fine and such imprisonment, or

(ii) on conviction on indictment, to a fine not exceeding £2,000 or (at the discretion of the court) to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years, or to both such fine and such imprisonment.
Subsections (2) and (5) of section 53 of the Act of 1952. 53. (2) A prosecution for an offence under the Act of 1952 or regulations thereunder, as applied and modified under the Act, may be brought at the suit of a health board acting by its chief executive officer.
(5) In any proceedings for an offence under the Act of 1952 or regulations thereunder, as applied and modified under the Act, the wife or husband of the person charged with the offence shall, notwithstanding any other Act, be competent to give evidence, whether for or against the said person, but the wife or husband shall not be compellable either to give evidence or, in giving evidence, to disclose any communication made to her or him during the marriage by the said person.
Section 54 of the Act of 1952. 54. Any sum due to a health board under the Act or regulations thereunder or under the Act of 1952 or regulations thereunder, as applied and modified under the Act, may, without prejudice to any other remedy, be recovered by the health board as a debt under statute in any court of competent jurisdiction.
Section 56 of the Act of 1952. 56. A document purporting to be a certificate of a determination made pursuant to the Act or regulations thereunder by an officer of a health board and to be signed by him shall be prima facie evidence of the making of the said determination and of the terms thereof, without proof of the signature of such officer or of his official capacity.
Section 63 of the Act of 1952. 63. Every book, card, order or other document issued to any person and upon the delivery or production or in respect of the possession of which by such person on or after a date indicated expressly or by implication on such document and subsequent to the issue of such document any allowance under the Act is payable to such person shall be deemed, for the purposes of the Pensions Books (Prohibition of Alienation) Act, 1932 (No. 1 of 1932), to be a document to which the said last-mentioned Act applies, and the said last-mentioned Act shall be construed and have effect accordingly.
Section 5 (1) of the Social Welfare (No. 2) Act, 1976 .

5. (1) (a) Notwithstanding any provision in any Act specifying the period within which proceedings may be commenced, a prosecution for an offence under the Act of 1952 or regulations thereunder, as applied and modified under the Act, may be brought at any time within whichever of the following periods latest expires---

(i) the period of three months commencing on the date on which it is certified in writing by the chief executive officer of a health board that evidence sufficient to justify the institution of that prosecution came into his procurement or possession, or

(ii) the period of two years commencing on the date on which the offence was committed.

(b) A document purporting to be a certificate issued under paragraph (a) of this subsection and to be signed by the chief executive officer shall be prima facie evidence of the matter certified without proof of the signature of such officer or of his official capacity.
Section 11 (2) of the Social Welfare (No. 2) Act, 1976 . 11. (2) Where in a prosecution for an offence under the Act of 1952 or regulations thereunder, as applied and modified under the Act, it is shown to the satisfaction of the court---

(a) that an application has been made by a person (in this section referred to as the defendant) for an allowance, and

(b) that as a result of that application an allowance has been paid to any person (whether or not such allowance was that applied for and whether or not it was paid to the defendant),
the defendant shall be presumed to have given any information contained in the application (or to have caused it to be given on his behalf) and, where such information is false, with full knowledge of such falsity and with intent that it should deceive; but this presumption may be rebutted.
Article 13 (1) of the Social Welfare (Claims and Payments) Regulations, 1952 ( S.I. No. 374 of 1952 ). 13. (1) Every beneficiary and every person by whom or on whose behalf an allowance is receivable shall furnish in such manner and at such time as the health board may determine such certificates and other documents and such information affecting the right to such an allowance or to the receipt thereof as the health board may require and in particular shall notify the health board of any change of circumstances which such beneficiary or person might reasonably be expected to know might affect the right to the allowance, or to the receipt thereof, as soon as is reasonably practicable after the occurrence thereof.
Article 19 of the Social Welfare (Claims and Payments) Regulations, 1952 ( S.I. No. 374 of 1952 ). 19. A person who fails to comply with sub-article (1) of article 13 of the Social Welfare (Claims and Payments) Regulations, 1952, as applied and modified under the Act, shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on summary conviction thereof to a fine not exceeding ten pounds and, in the case of a continuing offence, to a fine not exceeding ten pounds for each day on which the offence is continued.
Article 8 of the Regulations of 1953. 8. Where it appears to an officer of a health board who is authorised to determine entitlement to an allowance that a question has arisen or may arise as to whether---

(a) the conditions for the receipt of an allowance payable under a determination of entitlement are or were fulfilled, or

(b) a determination of entitlement ought to be revised,
payment of the allowance may be suspended until that question has been determined.
Sub-articles (1) and (2) of article 10 of the Regulations of 1953. 10. (1) Where on revision of a determination of entitlement to supplementary welfare allowance---

(a) a determination is varied so as to disallow or reduce an allowance paid or payable to a person, and

(b) the revised determination is given owing to the original determination having been given, or having continued in effect, by reason of any statement or representation (whether written or oral) which was to the knowledge of the person making it false or misleading in a material respect or by reason of the wilful concealment of any material fact,
any allowance paid in pursuance of the original determination shall be repayable to the health board to the extent to which it would not have been payable if the revised determination had been given in the first instance and such person and any other person to whom the allowance was paid on behalf of such person, or the personal representative of such person, shall be liable to pay to the health board on demand by the health board the sum so repayable.
(2) An allowance repayable in accordance with the preceding sub-article of this article may, without prejudice to any other method of recovery, be recovered by deduction from any one or more of the following, that is to say, benefit within the meaning of the Act of 1952 (except maternity benefit, death benefit by way of orphan's pension, or orphan's (contributory) allowance), deserted wife's allowance under section 22 of the Social Welfare Act, 1970 , social assistance allowance under section 8 of the Social Welfare Act, 1973 , single woman's allowance under section 8 or prisoner's wife's allowance under section 9 of the Social Welfare (No. 2) Act, 1974 , assistance under the Unemployment Assistance Acts, 1933 to 1977, a pension under the Old Age Pensions Acts, 1908 to 1977, or a widow's (non-contributory) pension under the Widows' and Orphans' Pensions Acts, 1935 to 1977, to which such person then is or becomes entitled.

SECOND SCHEDULE.

Article 19
Title Adaptation
Social Welfare Act, 1952 (No. 11 of 1952).

In paragraph II (a) of Rule 1 of the Seventh Schedule the words "supplementary welfare allowance" shall be substituted for the words "general assistance under the Public Assistance Act, 1939 (No. 27 of 1939)".
Housing Act, 1966 (No. 21 of 1966).

In section 61 (1) (c) the words " Social Welfare (Supplementary Welfare Allowances) Act, 1975 (No. 28 of 1975)" shall be substituted for the words " Public Assistance Act, 1939 ".
Disabled Persons (Maintenance Allowances) Regulations, 1973 ( S.I. No. 160 of 1973 ).

In article 5 the words "received by way of supplementary welfare allowance under the Social Welfare (Supplementary Welfare Allowances) Act, 1975 (No. 28 of 1975)" shall be substituted for the words "from public assistance".
Disabled Persons (Rehabilitation) Regulations, 1973 ( S.I. No. 186 of 1973 ).

In article 6 the words "received by way of supplementary welfare allowance under the Social Welfare (Supplementary Welfare Allowances) Act, 1975 (No. 28 of 1975)" shall be substituted for the words "from public assistance".

GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Minister for Social Welfare this 8th day of June, 1977.

BRENDAN CORISH,

Minister for Social Welfare.

The Minister for Finance hereby sanctions the making of article 6 of the foregoing Regulations.

GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Minister for Finance this 8th day of June, 1977.

RICHIE RYAN,

Minister for Finance.

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

These Regulations make general provisions for the purposes of the Social Welfare (Supplementary Welfare Allowances) Act, 1975 .

They provide that the disqualification of a person on the ground that he is engaged in remunerative full-time work shall not operate for a period of 15 days in the case of a person becoming engaged in such work and they specify classes of persons who will not be required to register for employment as a condition for the receipt of the allowance and the manner of such registration for those who may be required to do so. They prescribe the circumstances in which a person's basic weekly allowance or other income may be supplemented to meet his needs and enable arrangements to be made to meet the footwear needs of child dependants of persons with insufficient means. They provide also that an allowance will not be payable to or in respect of a person maintained in an institution: power is taken, however, to allow for payment in respect of certain specified financial outgoings of such a person.

The Regulations deal also with the manner in which claims for an allowance are to be made; the information to be given when claiming; the time for making claims; the time and manner of payment of an allowance; and the duration of a determination granting the allowance. Provision is made for the extinction of the right to sums payable by way of an allowance where payment is not obtained in time. Power is given to a Health Board to appoint a person to act for a claimant or beneficiary who is unable to act or who is a child under the age of 16, or to issue the whole or part of an allowance to a person other than the claimant where such action is necessary to protect the interests of the claimant or his dependants.

Provision is also made in the Regulations for the application to supplementary welfare allowance of certain provisions of the Social Welfare Acts and Regulations made thereunder. The effect is to apply to an allowance the existing provisions, with appropriate modifications, in relation to such matters as disqualification for periods during which a person is absent from the State or undergoing imprisonment, revision of determination of entitlement to an allowance, false statements, prosecutions, information to be given when obtaining payment of an allowance, and repayment of allowances irregularly obtained.

The Regulations prescribe the manner and time of payments to be made by local authorities to Health Boards and provision is also made for the adaptation of certain enactments and regulations so that they shall have effect in conformity with the Social Welfare (Supplementary Welfare Allowances) Act, 1975 .

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