Social Welfare Act, 1993

PART V

Miscellaneous

Disqualifications — fraudulent claims.

22.—(1) The Principal Act is hereby amended by the insertion after section 300B (inserted by section 31 of this Act) of the following section:

“300BB.—In the case of a person whose claim for benefit, assistance or family income supplement is disallowed or reduced in accordance with section 300B (a), a deciding officer may, having regard to the circumstances of the case, disqualify that person for receiving any benefit, assistance or family income supplement, as the case may be, for a period of up to 9 weeks and the period of disqualification shall commence—

(a) where any such benefit, assistance or family income supplement is so reduced, on the day on which the revised decision is given, or

(b) in any other case, on the day on which that person subsequently becomes entitled to any benefit, assistance or family income supplement, as the case may be,

and any such period of disqualification shall be treated as though it were a period in respect of which such benefit, assistance or family income supplement, as the case may be, was paid.”.

(2) The Principal Act is hereby amended by the insertion after section 203 (as amended by section 13 of the No. 2 Act of 1987) of the following section:

“203A.—In any case where a person is disqualified for receiving any benefit, assistance or family income supplement in accordance with section 300BB or section 294H (3), his needs for the period of disqualification shall be disregarded for the purpose of ascertaining his entitlement to supplementary welfare allowance except in so far as such needs include the need to provide for his adult or child dependants.”.

(3) This section shall come into operation on such day as the Minister may appoint by order.