Child benefit shall be payable by the Department at such weekly rate as may be prescribed.

Different rates may be prescribed in relation to different cases, whether by reference to the age of the child F1or qualifying young person in respect of whom the benefit is payable or otherwise.

The power to prescribe different rates under subsection (2) above shall be exercised so as to bring different rates into force on such day as the Department may by order specify.

No rate prescribed in place of a rate previously in force shall be lower than the rate that it replaces.

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