The crèche supplement which assists in covering the cost of emergency child care is to be abolished. The diet supplement, which is paid to people with special dietary needs, such as coeliacs, is to be phased out over a number of years. The entitlement to the half rate child dependant allowance in respect of unemployment benefit and disability benefit claims will be discontinued where the claimant's spouse or partner has a gross weekly income in excess of €300. The current weekly earnings permitted to claim the reduced rates of disability and unemployment benefit has been increased from €88.80 to €150. The entitlement of new claimants to the half rate payment of disability and unemployment benefit where the recipient is already in receipt of widow's or widower's pension or the one parent family payment will be discontinued. The maximum duration of unemployment benefit will be reduced from 390 days to 312 days where a person has less than 260 PRSI contributions paid since first entering employment. The number of paid PRSI contributions required for qualification for disability, unemployment and health and safety benefit has been increased from 39 since first entering insurance to 52. The 16th cut is an increase in the period where claims for unemployment benefit and disability benefit are linked to a previous claim from 13 to 26 weeks.