The Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) was introduced in response to the Covid-19 pandemic emergency. As stipulated in the scheme guidelines both employees and self-employed people can apply for the payment if they satisfy a number of qualifying conditions as set out below.
In order to qualify for the payment, an applicant must:
- be aged between 18 and 66 years old and
- be currently living in the Republic of Ireland and
- have lost their job due to the COVID-19 pandemic or
- have been temporarily laid off due to the COVID-19 pandemic and
- have worked in the Republic of Ireland or were a cross border frontier worker and
- not be in receipt of any employment income.
The person applied online for Covid-19 PUP on 31/3/2020 and received the weekly income support of €350 from 6/4/2020 to 8/6/2020 inclusive.
However, the person concerned advised immigration officials at Dublin Airport on 27/4/2020 that he had left the State on 1/3/2020. He was therefore not in the State at the time of his application for the Covid-19 PUP. The claim was stopped by the Department’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) on 5/6/2020. The person concerned was issued a review notice and SIU has had no further communication with him.
It would appear now that the claim made by the person concerned for a Covid-19 PUP was invalid and there may be an overpayment due to the Department.
It is open to the person to review the eligibility criteria for Covid-19 PUP at the Department’s website www.Gov.ie/DEASP and to submit a further application if he feels he now meets the qualifying criteria.
If the person concerned considers he may have an entitlement to payments under Jobseeker’s Benefit/Allowance or Supplementary Welfare Allowance, he can obtain further information or apply online at www.mywelfare.ie. Alternatively he can phone 1890 800 024 and request the relevant application form.
I trust this clarifies the matter.