Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 June 2020
788. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if those previously earning a salary under €200 a week but also in receipt of a jobseeker’s allowance, jobseeker’s benefit or jobseeker’s transition payment that brought their total weekly incomes over €200 will be moved to the reduced pandemic unemployment payment. [11749/20]
View answerOn Friday 5th June the Government approved the extension of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment until 10th August. The rate of payment will remain at a flat rate of €350 until 29th June when a two-level payment structure will be introduced to link the pandemic unemployment payment level to gross prior earnings. This change to the payment structure will ensure that the rate is fair and targeted.
People in receipt of the JST payment can also avail of the PUP and the amount of the JST payment remains unaffected. Therefore, where people who remain unemployed and who had employment income of less than €200 prior to Covid-19 have their PUP payment reduced their underlying JST payment will remain unchanged; as a consequence, in these cases, the total payment from PUP and JST will still be higher than their combined pre-covid-19 income from JST and employment earnings.
Recipients of the casual jobseeker payment will continue to be paid the €350 PUP payment where a reduction to €203 would reduce their income to less than their total pre-covid-19 income.
I trust that this clarifies the matter.
