Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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161. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if recipients who are currently in receipt of the pandemic unemployment payment will not be moved to standard jobseeker’s terms should the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions not go ahead on 22 October 2021 as planned particularly with regard to those who cannot return to their employment as a result of current limitations on industries such as live entertainment and hospitality; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51534/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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To date, the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) has supported over 900,000 employees including the self- employed, who lost employment as a direct result of government mandated Covid-19 public health measures.  The total expenditure on the scheme is now over €8.8 billion.

Due to the lifting of restrictions and success of the vaccine programme the number of recipients of the payment has now fallen dramatically, and is continuing to fall each week, from a peak of over 600,000 to a current figure of 93,400.I expect the numbers to continue to fall following the Government’s agreement this week that the remaining aspects of the hospitality, entertainment and night-time economy sector can reopen subject to a range of protective measures being in place. 

As set out by Government in the National Economic and Recovery Plan, the PUP is being gradually phased out over a number of months to align it with the standard jobseeker’s payments.  

As customers go on to the €203 rate, they will move to standard jobseeker terms. This is a necessary step to ensure equity of treatment and fairness within the social welfare system with those who lost their jobs pre-pandemic and indeed those who have lost their job since 8 July when the PUP scheme closed to new applicants.

In view of the approach being taken by Government, I have already deferred the process of moving from the lower €203 rate of PUP to a jobseeker’s payment, which was due to begin in early September, until after 26th October. Accordingly, affected customers will continue to receive their PUP payment until 26 October when the process of their transition to a Jobseeker’s payment will begin. My Department has already written to these customers to advise them of the transition process and the options available to them so that they will continue to be supported as appropriate.

Further rate changes will take place in November and in February 2022.

I trust that this clarifies the position at this time.