Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

“Iris Oifigiúil” of 3rd April, 2020.

I, REGINA DOHERTY, Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by sections 4 (amended by section 96 of the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act 2011 (No. 10 of 2011)), 40A (inserted by section 6 of the Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Act 2020 (No. 1 of 2020)) and 292 (amended by section 8 and Schedule 1 to the Social Welfare Act 2017 (No. 38 of 2017)) of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 , with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, hereby make the following Regulations:

Citation

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Social Welfare (Increase for Qualified Adult) Regulations 2020.

Definition

2. In these Regulations “Principal Act” means the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 .

Commencement

3. These Regulations come into operation–

(a) in so far as they relate to jobseeker’s allowance, on 25 March 2020,

(b) in so far as they relate to jobseeker’s benefit and jobseeker’s benefit (self-employed), on 26 March 2020, and

(c) in so far as they relate to illness benefit, on 30 March 2020.

Increase for Qualified Adult

4. (a) Schedule 2 (amended by section 18 and Schedule 2 to the Social Welfare, Pensions and Civil Registration Act 2018 (No. 37 of 2018)) of the Principal Act is amended at reference 1 in column (3) of Part 1, by the substitution of “€147” for “€134.70”, and

(b) Schedule 4 (amended by section 23 and Schedule 3 of to the Social Welfare, Pensions and Civil Registration Act 2018 (No. 37 of 2018)) of the Principal Act is amended at reference 1 in column (3) of Part 1, by the substitution of “€147” for “€134.70” in each place that it occurs.

Cessation

5. These Regulations shall cease to have effect –

(a) in so far as they relate to jobseeker’s allowance, on 17 June 2020,

(b) in so far as they relate to jobseeker’s benefit and jobseeker’s benefit (self-employed), on 18 June 2020, and

(c) in so far as they relate to illness benefit, on 22 June 2020.

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

GIVEN under my Official Seal,

27 March, 2020.

PASCHAL DONOHOE,

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.

GIVEN under my Official Seal,

30 March, 2020.

REGINA DOHERTY,

Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

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

These Regulations provide that, in the context of the grave risk to human life and public health posed by the spread of the disease known as Covid-19 and the efforts being made to mitigate the economic effects of that disease, the rate of payment of the increase for qualified adults for claimants of Jobseeker’s Benefit, Jobseeker’s Benefit (self-employed), Illness Benefit and Jobseeker’s Allowance is temporarily increased from €134.70 to €147.

These increases are being put in place for a period of 12 weeks and will cease to have effect on 17 June 2020 in so far as they relate to Jobseeker’s Allowance, 18 June 2020 in so far as they relate to Jobseeker’s Benefit and Jobseeker’s Benefit (self-employed), and 22 June 2020 in so far as they relate to Illness Benefit.