COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment
The COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment 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.[1]
On 16 March, Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection Regina Doherty announced the COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment, available for six weeks.[2]
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.[3]
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.[4]
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".[5]
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.[6][7] A spokesman for Goodbody Stockbrokers described it as "unprecedented".[8] By the following week, the numbers receiving the COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment had nearly doubled again from the previous week's total.[9]
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.[10]
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.[11]
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.[12][13] A further slight fall occurred the following week.[14][15]
On 19 May, Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe said a decision would be made "soon" regarding an extension of the payment.[16] On 4 June, the Government of Ireland announced that the payment will be extended for "months, not weeks".[17] The Irish Independent reported that the payment will be cut by 40% (from €350 to €203 per week) for part-time workers.[18] 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.[19][20]
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.[21]
On 23 July, as part of the July Jobs Stimulus package announced by the Government of Ireland, the payment will be extended until April 2021 and will be gradually reduced to €203 per week over that period based on the pre-pandemic earnings of the claimant. The scheme will close to new applicants from 17 September.[22]
References
- "COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment". www.gov.ie.
- 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.
- Ardill, Lisa (24 March 2020). "Government increases Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment". Silicon Republic. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
- Morahan, George (30 March 2020). "283,000 approved for COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment". Extra.ie. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
- McGrath, Dominic (3 April 2020). "Regina Doherty defends pandemic payment but admits system isn't 'perfect'". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
- 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.
- 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.
- "14% Jump In Numbers Claiming Unemployment Benefit In Clare Amid Coronavirus Pandemic". Clare FM. 2 April 2020. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
- Miley, Ingrid (6 April 2020). "More than 700,000 receiving income supports". RTÉ News and Current Affairs. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
- 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.
- 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.
- Miley, Ingrid (11 May 2020). "Slight fall in number of Pandemic Unemployment Payments". RTÉ News and Current Affairs. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
- McGee, Harry (11 May 2020). "Coronavirus: Slight fall in number receiving emergency payment". The Irish Times. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
- 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.
- Miley, Ingrid (18 May 2020). "Number of people on Pandemic Unemployment Payment dips". RTÉ News and Current Affairs. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
- 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.
- Doyle, Maggie (4 June 2020). "Pandemic Unemployment Payment to be extended for 'months, not weeks'". RTÉ News and Current Affairs. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
- 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.
- "Minister Doherty announces Pandemic Unemployment Payment to continue". gov.ie. Government of Ireland. 5 June 2020. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
- 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.
- "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.
- Miley, Ingrid (23 July 2020). "Pandemic payment to be extended until April 2021". RTÉ News and Current Affairs. Retrieved 23 July 2020.