S.I. No. 202 of 2009

SOCIAL WELFARE (CONSOLIDATED SUPPLEMENTARY WELFARE ALLOWANCE) (AMENDMENT) (RENT SUPPLEMENT) REGULATIONS 2009

Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

"Iris Oifigiúil" of 2nd June, 2009.

The Minister for Social and Family Affairs, in exercise of the powers conferred on her by sections 4, 198 (as amended by section 7 of the section 29 of the Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2007 (No. 8 of 2007)), of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 (No. 26 of 2005), hereby makes the following Regulations:

Citation and construction.

1. (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Social Welfare (Consolidated Supplementary Welfare Allowance) (Amendment) (Rent Supplement) Regulations 2009.

(2) These Regulations shall be construed as one with the Social Welfare (Consolidated Supplementary Welfare Allowance) Regulations 2007 (S.I. No. 412 of 2007) and shall be included in the collective citation "the Social Welfare (Consolidated Supplementary Welfare Allowance) Regulations 2007 to 2009".

Commencement.

2. These Regulations come into operation on 1 June 2009.

Definitions.

3. In these Regulations the "Principal Regulations" mean the Social Welfare (Consolidated Supplementary Welfare Allowance) Regulations 2007 (S.I. No. 412 of 2007).

Amount of supplement.

4. The Principal Regulations are amended in article 12 (as amended by the Social Welfare (Consolidated Supplementary Welfare Allowance) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2008 ( S.I. No. 603 of 2008 )) by substituting "€24" for "€18" in each place where it occurs.

Time and manner of payment.

5. The Principal Regulations are amended in sub-article 25(1)(a)-

(a) in sub-paragraph (iii) by deleting the final word "or", and

(b) after sub-paragraph (iii) by inserting the following-

"(iv) in cash payable at a post office, or".

Maximum amount of rent in respect of which a supplement is payable.

6. The Principal Regulations are amended in paragraph (i) of article 9(2) (as amended by the Social Welfare (Consolidated Supplementary Welfare Allowance) (Amendment) (Maximum Rent Limits) Regulations 2008 ( S.I. No. 334 of 2008 )) by substituting "1 June 2009 and ending on 31 May 2010" for "26 January 2007 and ending on 31 December 2009".

Entitlement to rent supplement.

7. The Principal Regulations are amended by the substitution for Schedule 1 of the following Schedule:

"SCHEDULE 1 MAXIMUM RENT LIMITS

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

GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Minister for Finance,

28 May 2009

BRIAN LENIHAN,

Minister for Finance.

GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Minister for Social and Family Affairs,

28 May 2009

MARY HANAFIN,

Minister for Social and Family Affairs.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

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

These regulations provide for an increase in the minimum weekly contribution payable by a recipient of Rent Supplement. The minimum contribution is being increased from €18 to €24.

These regulations also provide for a reduction of the levels of maximum rent until 31 May 2010, as set out in Schedule 1 of the Social Welfare (Consolidated Supplementary Welfare Allowance) Regulations 2007 (S.I. No. 412 of 2007), in respect of which rent supplement is paid.

These measures come into operation on 1 June 2009.