Richard Boyd Barrett
Question:199. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of the pandemic unemployment payment at current levels from now until the end of 2021. [27810/20]
View answerThursday, 1 October 2020
Questions (199)
Written answers
As part of a suite of measures announced in the July Stimulus, the Pandemic Unemployment Payment will now be extended to April 2021.
By week-ending Friday, 2nd October 2020, the PUP scheme will have cost an estimated €3.6 billion.
The cost of PUP in the period between September and December 2020, and up to April 2021, will depend on the ongoing suppression of the Covid-19 virus and on progress in reopening the economy and society. The performance of the labour market in the weeks and months ahead, including the capacity of employers to respond to the phased return to work following the Covid-19 lockdown, and the level of any resulting residual unemployment, remains uncertain. These factors will determine the extent of labour market recovery between now and the year-end and into 2021. These are matters that will be considered during the coming weeks and the estimated cost of PUP to the year-end and the allocation for 2021 will be determined as part of that process.