S.I. No. 196/1993 - Social Welfare (Household Budgeting) Regulations, 1993.

S.I. No. 196 of 1993.

SOCIAL WELFARE (HOUSEHOLD BUDGETING) REGULATIONS, 1993.

The Minister for Social Welfare in exercise of the powers conferred on him by section 3 of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 1981 (No. 1 of 1981 ) and section 54 of the Social Welfare Act, 1991 (No. 7 of 1991) and by section 41 of the Social Welfare Act, 1992 (No. 5 of 1992), hereby makes the following Regulations:—

1 Citation.

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Social Welfare (Household Budgeting) Regulations, 1993.

2 Interpretation.

2. In these Regulations—

"assistance" means Unemployment Assistance under Chapter 2 of Part III of the Principal Act;

"beneficiary" means a person in receipt of unemployment benefit or unemployment assistance payable by An Post through the payment method known as POSTDRAFT;

"benefit" means Unemployment Benefit under Chapter 4 of Part II of the Principal Act;

"the Principal Act" means the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 1981 ;

"specified body" has the meaning assigned to it in section 54 (3) of the Social Welfare Act, 1991 (No. 7 of 1991).

3 Deductions from benefit or assistance.

3. (1) Subject to these Regulations, An Post shall, on application by a beneficiary in such form as may be determined by An Post, deduct an amount from his weekly rate of benefit or assistance for payment to such specified body as may be designated by the beneficiary.

(2) The total amount deducted under sub-article (1) of this article in any week shall not exceed 25 per cent of the weekly rate of such benefit or assistance, as the case may be, to which the beneficiary is entitled.

4 Withdrawal of application for deduction.

4. A beneficiary may cancel a deduction made under article 3 of these Regulations by giving not less than two weeks notice in writing to An Post specifying details of the deduction or deductions to be cancelled.

5 Amendment of application for deduction.

5. The amount of the deduction made under article 3 of these Regulations may be varied on application by the beneficiary to An Post in such form as may be determined by An Post.

6 Cancellation by An Post.

6. An Post shall immediately upon receipt of a cancellation pursuant to article 4 of these Regulations or a variation pursuant to article 5 thereof comply with such cancellation or variation.

7 Alteration to deductions.

7. Where, in any week, the amount of benefit or assistance to which the beneficiary is entitled for that week is insufficient to meet all the deductions under article 3 (1) of these Regulations, An Post may make deductions up to the percentage amount specified in article 3 (2) of these Regulations, to the specified bodies in the priority nominated by the beneficiary at the time of the making of the application in accordance with article 3.

GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Minister for Social Welfare this 25th day of June, 1993.

MICHAEL WOODS,

Minister for Social Welfare.

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

Under Section 41 of the Social Welfare Act, 1992 the Minister for Social Welfare has delegated to An Post power to administer the Household Budgeting Scheme.

Section 54 of the Social Welfare Act, 1991 provides for making deductions from social welfare payments and for the making of the necessary regulations to govern such deductions.

These Regulations provide for the method of making such deductions, and for the amendment, variation and cancellation of deductions once made. They also specify that the budgeting facility will be available for recipients of unemployment payments made through An Post's POSTDRAFT system.