Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 13 January 2021
583. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will extend the average earnings reference period for the pandemic unemployment payment beyond the end of September 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1515/21]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, the rate of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment is linked to a person's previous average weekly earnings.
Last November, I secured Government approval to extend the 2020 earnings reference period for employees to September 2020. This change, which is effective from 2 October, meant that people who only commenced employment after February 2020 but were laid-off in October due to increased restrictions can have their payment rate fixed by reference to their earnings in the period March to September 2020.
As a result of extending the reference period to the end of September 2020, some 37,430 receiving PUP on 17 November received an increase in their rate of payment.
There are no plans to extend the average earnings reference period beyond September 2020 at this time.
The Deputy will also be aware that that the Government has approved my proposal to keep the Pandemic Unemployment Payment at its current rates of payment until March 31st 2021, over a year after its introduction. When the Pandemic Unemployment Payment was introduced last March, it was intended to be in place for just a 12 week period.
Over €5 Billion has been paid out on the Pandemic Unemployment Payment to date. While this is a huge sum of money it was absolutely the right thing to do in order to ensure that the incomes of hundreds of thousands of people have been protected during a period of unprecedented difficulty for our country.
I hope that this clarifies matters for the Deputy.
