AI Summary of 12. Information to be supplied by claimants and beneficiaries.
The recent amendments to the Principal Act reflect significant changes to the information requirements for claimants and beneficiaries. Section 241 has been revised to remove subsections (1A) and (1B), which were originally added by the Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2009.
Furthermore, a new Section 244A has been introduced, empowering the Minister to prescribe specific information to be supplied by claimants and beneficiaries. This information is intended to assist decision-makers in verifying eligibility for benefits and in assessing the educational and developmental needs of individuals. Notably, the Minister may delineate different requirements based on claimant categories and benefit types.
12. Information to be supplied by claimants and beneficiaries.
(1) Section 241 of the Principal Act is amended by deleting subsections (1A) and (1B) (inserted by section 9 of the Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2009).
(2) The Principal Act is amended by inserting the following section after section 244:
"244A. Information to be supplied by claimants and beneficiaries for profiling and activation purposes.
(1) The Minister may prescribe information and the nature and form of such information to be furnished by a claimant or beneficiary where the Minister forms the opinion that the furnishing of that information would assist -
(a) a deciding officer, bureau officer, the Executive or any other person who makes a decision in relation to a claim for, or the payment of, benefit in deciding whether -
(i) a claimant is entitled to make a claim for benefit or to receive any benefit, or
(ii) a beneficiary is entitled to continue to receive any benefit, or
(b) in assessing the training, education or development needs appropriate to the circumstances of the claimant or beneficiary.