9. (1) An eligible person may make an application to the scheme administrator for income-related or non-income related financial support or both.

(2) It shall be a condition of every application for financial support that the applicant, and in the case where that applicant is a member of a couple, the applicant and his or her partner, shall furnish all information which the scheme administrator may request in connection with the consideration of the application.

(3) An application for financial support shall—

(a) be in such form as may be specified by the scheme administrator,

(b) specify the name of the applicant and the child and the address at which they ordinarily reside and other contact details,

(c) specify the personal public service number of the applicant and of the child in respect of whom an application is made,

(d) in the case of an application for income-related financial support, specify the name of the applicant’s partner and his or her personal public service number and the names and personal public service numbers of any other children under the age of 15 years who reside with the applicant or with his or her partner and in relation to whom the applicant or his or her partner is a parent,

(e) specify the dates of birth of the applicant and, where applicable, his or her partner and the children referred to in paragraphs (c) and (d),

(f) specify the class in which the child is enrolled at school or whether he or she is enrolled in a pre-school programme funded by the Minister or the Minister for Education and Skills,

(g) in the case of an application for income-related financial support, specify the name and address of the employer or education or training provider, as may be appropriate, of the applicant,

(h) in the case of an application for income-related financial support, specify the name and address of the employer or education or training provider, as may be appropriate, of the applicant’s partner, and

(i) contain such other information that the scheme administrator may require in relation to the applicant, his or her partner and children under the age of 15 years in order that the scheme administrator may determine whether or not the applicant is eligible to apply for financial support and the amount of the financial support the applicant is qualified to receive.

(4) The scheme administrator may refuse an application for financial support if—

(a) the application does not comply with subsection (1), (2) or (3),

(b) the applicant or his or her partner fails to provide the scheme administrator with such information as may be specified in the application form or such additional information as the scheme administrator may reasonably require to enable it to determine the application,

(c) the applicant or his or her partner fails to authorise the scheme administrator to contact his or her employer or education or training provider, as may be appropriate, to verify the information provided by the applicant or his or her partner, or

(d) the applicant or the applicant’s partner fails to satisfy the scheme administrator as to his or her identity or as to the identity of any children named in the application for financial support.

(5) Where the scheme administrator refuses under subsection (4) an application for financial support, it shall, not later than 20 working days after the refusal, give the applicant notice in writing or by electronic means of the decision and the reasons for the decision.

(6) Any person who knowingly, or recklessly, provides the scheme administrator with information which is false or misleading in a material particular in, with, or in connection with, an application for financial support shall be guilty of an offence.

(7) In this section “eligible person” means a person to whom section 7 applies.