Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 section 247

Avoidance of multiple payments

Section 247 establishes the general rule that a person may receive only one social welfare payment for any given period, and sets out the exceptions and regulations that modify this rule.

• Only one social welfare benefit or assistance payment may be claimed for the same period, with narrow exceptions for funeral expense grants, bereavement-related grants, bereaved parent grants, domiciliary care allowance, and supplementary welfare allowance.
• Disablement benefit may be paid alongside another benefit or assistance for the same period, subject to restrictions on certain increases (for incapacity, qualified adults/children, and constant attendance).
• Working family payment cannot be received at the same time as jobseeker's benefit or allowance, carer's benefit or allowance, partial capacity benefit, farm assist, or jobseeker's pay-related benefit; nor can it continue beyond six weeks into a period of incapacity where illness or injury benefit is also being paid.
• The Minister may make regulations permitting overlapping payments (with possible reductions), and special rules apply to guardian's payments for orphans, continued payments for qualified children, bereavement/funeral grants, and EU-related invalidity pension adjustments.