Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 section 139

Description of assistance

Section 139 lists the types of means-tested social welfare assistance available under Part 3 and confirms that all such payments are funded directly by the Oireachtas.

• Social welfare assistance comprises non-contributory, means-tested payments for those who do not qualify for insurance-based benefits.
• The twelve categories cover unemployment support, retirement and old-age provision, disability and carer payments, and family-related allowances.
• Special provisions exist for widows, widowers, surviving civil partners, and guardians of orphaned children, including both ongoing pensions and one-off grants.
• All assistance payments are funded directly by the Oireachtas (the Irish Parliament) rather than from social insurance contributions.