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COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment

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The COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (referred to as the PUP)[1] is a government emergency aid program in the Republic of Ireland that provides monetary relief to those who face unemployment due to the COVID-19 pandemic, whether formerly employed or self-employed.

Anyone whose job vanished on (or after) 13 March 2020 as a result of the pandemic is eligible.[2]

On 16 March, Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection Regina Doherty announced the COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment, available for six weeks.[3]

On 24 March, the amount of money distributed as part of the COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment was increased from €203 per week to €350.[4]

By the end of March, the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection announced that the total applications it received for the COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment over the previous two weeks were equivalent to a 19-month claim load.[5]

Doherty defended the scheme on Today with Seán O'Rourke on 3 April amid claims that some students were taking advantage: "By Jove, I know they’re going to spend in it in the economy when we re-open in couple of weeks or a couple of months time. It was a very small price to pay for the people that needed an income".[6]

By early April, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) announced that a figure equivalent to more than one tenth of the country's population were unemployed, with more than half of that number receiving the COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment.[7][8] A spokesman for Goodbody Stockbrokers described it as "unprecedented".[9] By the following week, the numbers receiving the COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment had nearly doubled again from the previous week's total.[10]

In April, the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection "inadvertently" emailed 1,700 people to inform them they were no longer eligible for the scheme.[11]

On 6 May, Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe told Morning Ireland that the payment would continue "in some form" past its original intended date of ending.[12]

On 11 May, it was reported that the number of people receiving the COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment had slightly decreased for the first time since its establishment, though this was attributed to employees being offered the Temporary COVID-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme instead.[13][14] A further slight fall occurred the following week.[15][16]

On 19 May, Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe said a decision would be made "soon" regarding an extension of the payment.[17] On 4 June, the Government of Ireland announced that the payment will be extended for "months, not weeks".[18] The Irish Independent reported that the payment will be cut by 40% (from €350 to €203 per week) for part-time workers.[19] On 5 June, Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection Regina Doherty announced that the payment would be extended until 10 August, and would be reduced for part-time workers from 29 June.[20][21]

On 21 May, a young male was arrested at a house in Mullingar, County Westmeath, after it was determined that he had applied for six separate COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payments.[22]

On 23 July, as part of the July Jobs Stimulus package announced by the Government of Ireland, the payment was extended until April 2021 and intended to be gradually reduced to €203 per week over that period based on the pre-pandemic earnings of the claimant. The scheme would, at the time of this announcement, close to new applicants from 17 September.[23]

On 15 September, Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys announced that the payment would accept new applicants until the end of the year, with rates going from two different ones to three on 17 September dependent on the amount of money the recipient previously earned.[1]

On 19 October, the Government of Ireland confirmed that the payment would be restored to €350 for anyone who was earning more than €400 before they lost their job due to COVID-19 restrictions.[24][25][26]

On 24 November, Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys secured Government approval to keep the payment open to new applicants until 31 March 2021.[27][28]

References

  1. ^ a b Hennessy, Michelle (15 September 2020). "Pandemic Unemployment Payment to remain open for new applicants until end of 2020". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  2. ^ "COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment". www.gov.ie.
  3. ^ Burke, Ceimin (16 March 2020). "Pandemic unemployment payment set up to help people out of work due to coronavirus closures". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  4. ^ Ardill, Lisa (24 March 2020). "Government increases Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment". Silicon Republic. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  5. ^ Morahan, George (30 March 2020). "283,000 approved for COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment". Extra.ie. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  6. ^ McGrath, Dominic (3 April 2020). "Regina Doherty defends pandemic payment but admits system isn't 'perfect'". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  7. ^ John Patrick Kearns (2 April 2020). "Coronavirus Ireland: Nearly 300,000 people claiming COVID-19 pandemic payment as over half a million people out of work". Dublin Live. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  8. ^ Daly, Adam (2 April 2020). "Over 500,000 people either out of work or receiving pandemic payments, new stats show". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  9. ^ "14% Jump In Numbers Claiming Unemployment Benefit In Clare Amid Coronavirus Pandemic". Clare FM. 2 April 2020. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  10. ^ Miley, Ingrid (6 April 2020). "More than 700,000 receiving income supports". RTÉ News and Current Affairs. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  11. ^ Hennessy, Michelle (10 April 2020). "Department 'inadvertently' emailed 1,700 people telling them their Covid-19 payment was to be stopped". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  12. ^ Duffy, Rónán (6 May 2020). "Paschal Donohoe says wage subsidy and pandemic payment will continue 'in some form': The Finance Minister said however that the level of support may change". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  13. ^ Miley, Ingrid (11 May 2020). "Slight fall in number of Pandemic Unemployment Payments". RTÉ News and Current Affairs. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  14. ^ McGee, Harry (11 May 2020). "Coronavirus: Slight fall in number receiving emergency payment". The Irish Times. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  15. ^ Dwyer, Orla (18 May 2020). "Slight fall in number of Covid-19 unemployment payments for second week in a row: Workers who previously received the payment are advised to close their claim on the day they return to work". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  16. ^ Miley, Ingrid (18 May 2020). "Number of people on Pandemic Unemployment Payment dips". RTÉ News and Current Affairs. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  17. ^ Finn, Christina (19 May 2020). "Decision due soon on extending Covid-19 unemployment payment, says minister: As people return back to work, the minister said he will look at the data on the number of claims". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  18. ^ Doyle, Maggie (4 June 2020). "Pandemic Unemployment Payment to be extended for 'months, not weeks'". RTÉ News and Current Affairs. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  19. ^ Ryan, Philip (4 June 2020). "'There will be war about this' - pandemic payment to be cut by 40pc for part-time workers". Irish Independent. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  20. ^ "Minister Doherty announces Pandemic Unemployment Payment to continue". gov.ie. Government of Ireland. 5 June 2020. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  21. ^ Murray, Sean (5 June 2020). "Pandemic payments to continue until August, with reduced PUP for part-time workers from 29 June". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  22. ^ "Teenager arrested over suspected fraud was allegedly receiving six separate Covid-19 unemployment payments: The man is currently being detained at Mullingar Garda Station". TheJournal.ie. 21 May 2020. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
  23. ^ Miley, Ingrid (23 July 2020). "Pandemic payment to be extended until April 2021". RTÉ News and Current Affairs. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
  24. ^ Lehane, Mícheál; Miley, Ingrid (19 October 2020). "Cabinet agrees to restore top rate of PUP to €350 a week". RTÉ News and Current Affairs. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
  25. ^ Ryan, Philip (19 October 2020). "Top rate of Pandemic Unemployment Payment to go to back to €350 as country prepares for Level 5 restrictions". Irish Independent. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
  26. ^ "Pandemic Unemployment Payment to be restored to €350 a week". BreakingNews.ie. 19 October 2020. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
  27. ^ "Pandemic Unemployment Payment will remain open for new entrants until end March 2021". gov.ie. Department of Social Protection. 24 November 2020. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
  28. ^ Halpin, Hayley (24 November 2020). "Pandemic Unemployment Payment to remain open to new applications until 31 March 2021". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
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