S.I. No. 236/1997:

SOCIAL WELFARE (RENT ALLOWANCE) (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS, 1997

SOCIAL WELFARE (RENT ALLOWANCE) (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS, 1997

The Minister for Social Welfare, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by section 23 of the Housing (Private Rented dwellings) Act, 1982 (No. 6 of 1982) and subsections (2) and (3) of section 4 of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 1993 No. 27 of 1993), hereby makes the following Regulations:

1. (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Social Welfare (Rent Allowance) (Amendment) Regulations, 1997.

(2) The Social Welfare (Rent Allowance) Regulations, 1991 to 1996 and these Regulations shall be construed together as one and may be cited as the Social Welfare (Rent Allowance) Regulations, 1991 to 1997.

2. These Regulations shall come into operation on the 12th day of June 1997.

3. Article 6 of the Social Welfare (Rent Allowance) Regulations, 1991 ( S.I. No. 208 of 1991 ) is hereby amended by the substitution for sub-articles (1) and (2) (inserted by article 3 of the Social Welfare (Rent Allowance) (Amendment) Regulations, 1996 ( S.I. No. 144 of 1996 )) of the following sub-articles:

" (1) An allowance, in the case of

( a ) a married person whose weekly means do not exceed £133.40, or

( b ) any other person whose weekly means do not exceed £78,

shall be a weekly amount equal to the amount by which the rent (calculated as a weekly rent) fixed by a Court, or by the Tribunal, or by a rent officer on or after the 26th day of July, 1982 exceeds the rent so calculated payable prior to that date.

Provided that where the rent so calculated payable prior to that date was less than £6.20, the allowance shall be the amount by which the rent so calculated fixed by a Court, or by the Tribunal, or by a rent officer exceeds £6.20.

(2) An allowance, in the case of persons whose weekly means exceed the amounts specified in paragraph (a) or (b) of sub-article (1) of this article, as the case may be, shall be the amount of allowance that would arise if the provisions of sub-article (1) of this article applied, reduced

( a ) in the case of a married person, by 50p for each £1 of weekly means in excess of £133.40, but not exceeding £143.40, and by £1 for each £1 of weekly means in excess of £143.40, and

( b ) in any other case, by 50P for each £1 of weekly means in excess of £78, but not exceeding £83, and by £1 for each £1 of weekly means in excess of £83."

GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Minister for Social Welfare

this 16TH day of May, 1997

PROINSIAS DE ROSSA

Minister for Social Welfare.

The Minister for Finance hereby consents to the making of the foregoing Regulations.

GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Minister for Finance this 19th day of May, 1997

RUAIRI QUINN

Minister for Finance.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

These Regulations provide for increases, with effect from 12 June, 1997, in the amount of means disregarded for people effected by the decontrol of rents and the minimum rent for the purposes of the Rent Allowance scheme.