Bernard Durkan
Question:930. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the rate of payment a person (details supplied) will receive; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33627/20]
View answerTuesday, 3 November 2020
Questions (930)
Written answers
Where a person’s weekly earnings were between €200 and €299.99, the rate of the COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) is €250 per week. According to my Department’s records the person concerned earned an average of €252.35 per week in 2019 and the PUP rate of €250 is therefore correct for her circumstances.
If these earnings are inaccurate, the person concerned should supply documentation to support this. However, it is important to note that my Department will only accept earnings which have been notified to Revenue and have been subject to PRSI.
Requests for a review of earnings should be emailed to PUPRerate@welfare.ie and all supporting documentation included. Alternatively, the person concerned can write to PUP Rerate Requests, DSP, Intreo Centre, Cork Road, Waterford including all supporting documentation.
The case will then be reviewed and any necessary follow up action taken.
If the person concerned is experiencing financial difficulties she can contact her local Community Welfare Service in the Navan Road Intreo Centre where her circumstances will be assessed. Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme, my Department can make a single Exceptional Needs Payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off expenditure, which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. There is no automatic entitlement to these payments which are payable at the discretion of the officers administering the scheme, taking into account the requirements of the legislation and all the relevant circumstances of the case, in order to ensure that the payments target those most in need of assistance. The Community Welfare Service can be contacted by phone at (01) 8823100.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
Question No. 931 answered with Question No. 838.