10Grant of financial assistance in respect of salaries

10 Grant of financial assistance in respect of salaries

(1) Subject to this Act, where a person is employed as a welfare officer of a senior citizens’ centre in a participating State wholly or mainly in connection with the provision of an approved welfare service or approved welfare services by or in association with the centre, there is payable to the State, by way of financial assistance, an amount equal to one‑half of the amount paid to the welfare officer by way of salary in respect of any period commencing after the commencement of this Act and after the State has given the notice by virtue on which it is a participating State. (1A) For the purposes of the operation of this section, whether before or after the commencement of this subsection, a reference to the amount paid to a welfare officer by way of salary shall be taken as including a reference to any allowance, gratuity or compensation paid in a lump sum to the officer in consequence of the retirement, or the termination of employment, of the officer, being an allowance, a gratuity or compensation paid in respect of accrued long service leave, or other accrued leave. (2) Where two or more persons are employed throughout the same period as welfare officers of the same senior citizens’ centre, this section does not, unless the Minister otherwise approves, apply in relation to the employment of more than one of those persons. (3) The Minister shall not, on or after the prescribed commencement day, in a case where 2 or more persons are employed throughout the same period as welfare officers of the same senior citizens’ centre, approve the application of this section to the employment of more persons as welfare officers of that centre than the number of those persons for which the Minister had given approval under subsection (2) prior to the prescribed commencement day, being approvals that were in force immediately before the prescribed commencement day.