Vol. 428 No. 1
164 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will give details of all regulations related to unemployment benefit, unemployment assistance and supplementary welfare allowances made by his Department since September 1992.
Three regulations relating to unemployment benefit and unemployment assistance have been made since September 1992. No regulations have been made since that date relating to Supplementary Welfare Allowance. A description of each of the regulations concerned is set out below.
The Social Welfare (Temporary Provisions) Regulations, 1992 (S.I. No. 389/1992).
These regulations provided for the payment of a Christmas Bonus to long term social welfare recipients, including those on Unemployment Assistance at the long term rate, equivalent to 70 per cent of their normal weekly payment.
The Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Social Insurance Provisions) (No. 2) Regulations, 1992 (S.I. No. 448/1992).
These regulations prescribed the amount of reckonable weekly earnings a claimant is required to have to qualify for unemployment benefit and disability benefit. They also provided for the payment of reduced rates of Unemployment Benefit and Disability Benefit to claimants whose reckonable weekly earnings are below this prescribed amount.
In addition the regulations outlined the circumstances in which a claimant will be regarded as having sustained a substantial loss of employment as provided for in section 28 of the Social Welfare Act, 1992 in order to qualify for unemployment benefit.
The Social Welfare (Unemployment Benefit) (No. 2) Regulations, 1992 (S.I. No. 449/1992/.
These regulations provided for the necessary arrangements to facilitate the introduction of new signing arrangements for unemployment benefit and alternative methods of payment of benefit.
