Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 section 296

Payment of increases in respect of qualified children

Section 296 empowers the Minister to make regulations allowing full-rate qualified child increases to be paid to either parent, even where both parents are individually entitled to such increases.

• The Minister may make regulations governing how qualified child increases are paid when both parents claim benefit.
• Regulations can provide for the full rate of the qualified child increase to be paid to either parent.
• This applies even where each parent has a separate entitlement to an increase in benefit for qualified children.
• The provision ensures flexibility in directing payments to the most appropriate parent.