7. Selection of persons eligible to receive welfare benefit payments

Official English translation. Where it differs from the Sinhala or Tamil text, the Act itself says which text prevails.

(1)

The Board shall, on the material submitted to it in such manner as is hereinafter provided, select the persons who shall be eligible to receive welfare benefit payments in terms of this Act. Such selection shall be made in a non-discriminatory manner and in accordance with the prescribed selection criteria. No person shall be denied selection as a person eligible to receive welfare benefit payments in terms of this Act, only on the grounds of race, language, religion, sex or political opinion :

Provided however, any person in receipt of a stipend or payment, monthly or otherwise, under any public assistance scheme or in terms of the provisions of any law for the time being in force, designed to alleviate poverty or for any other purpose, shall, within three months of the date of the coming into operation of this Act, notify the Commissioner of all the particulars of the stipend or payment so received along with the information required to be furnished in terms of subsection (3). Upon receipt of such notification and information the

Board shall review each case in order to ascertain according to the prescribed criteria the eligibility of such persons to receive assistance in terms of this Act. In the event of the eligibility of any person being established according to the prescribed criteria, then such person shall be deemed to be a person who is eligible to receive welfare benefit payments in terms of this Act for an initial period of twelve months and the Commissioner shall notify such person of the same. At the end of such period such person shall if qualified, be eligible to re-apply for entry to a welfare benefit scheme in terms of this Act. The name of such person shall if qualified, be added to the List of names of the person eligible to receive welfare benefit payments in terms of this Act and the Commissioner shall accordingly inform such person of this fact :

Provided further, in the event of the Board deciding that any such person is not eligible to continue to receive such welfare benefit payment, the Commissioner shall notify such person accordingly.

(2)

Any person who upon application made under subsection (1), is recognised as a person eligible to receive welfare benefit payments in terms of this Act, in accordance with the prescribed criteria, shall forthwith be informed of such fact by the Commissioner. All payments made to such person or benefits received by such person under any public assistance scheme or in terms of the provisions of any law for the time being in force, designed to alleviate poverty or for any other purpose, shall cease with immediate effect.

(3)

Every person applying to receive welfare benefit payments in terms of the foregoing provisions of this section, shall make a declaration to the Commissioner in the manner and in such form as may be prescribed therefor, setting out all particulars relating to the income, assets and liabilities of such person, his spouse, dependent children or other dependents as the case may be. The information set out in such declaration shall be used by the Board for ascertaining whether a person is eligible to receive welfare benefit payments in terms of any prescribed Welfare Benefit Payment

Scheme.

(4)

It shall be the duty of a person who has notified the

Commissioner in terms of subsection (1) or furnished declaration in terms of subsection (3), to notify the

Commissioner of any material change which has occurred in relation to such particulars, within a period of two months of such change.

(5)

A person who is selected as being eligible to receive welfare benefit payments in terms of this Act shall hereinafter be referred to as “a person to whom this Act applies”.

(6)

A decision of the Board under this section shall be final and conclusive.

Read on from s 8