Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 section 197

Weekly amounts of supplementary welfare allowance for persons of no means

Section 197 sets out the weekly rates of supplementary welfare allowance payable to persons with no means, including increases for dependants, reduced rates for younger claimants, penalty reductions for non-engagement with activation measures, and the exemptions from those reduced rates.

• The standard weekly rate for claimants with no means is €252, with increases available for a qualified adult (€168.60) and qualified children (€58 under 12; €78 aged 12 and over)
• Claimants who fail to attend activation meetings or participate in prescribed schemes face a weekly reduction of €88 from the standard rate
• Claimants under 25 without dependant children receive a reduced rate of €163.70 weekly, subject to a further €50 weekly reduction for non-engagement with activation measures
• Exemptions from the reduced under-25 rate apply to those in continuous receipt before certain dates, those receiving housing support, and care leavers aged 18–25