Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 24 March 2021
1034. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection if persons applying for the pandemic unemployment payment are required to provide proof of unemployment as a result of Covid-19; and if so, the proof required. [15719/21]
View answerThe Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) has proven to be a vital income support to workers, thousands of whom lost their jobs virtually overnight. Since the introduction of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment, just under 20 million payments have been made to over 850,000 people providing income support of more than €6.3 billion to date. Over the last 12 months, just under 2 million PUP claims were received and processed.
The quickest and easiest way to apply for this payment is online at MyWelfare.ie. Eligible applications received by close of business on a Thursday are processed for payment on the following Tuesday.
My Department accepts that in applying for the Pandemic Unemployment Payment, a person is confirming that they have lost their employment as a direct consequence of Covid-19. Accordingly, it is not necessary for a person to provide proof of unemployment, save in exceptional circumstances.
The rate of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment is linked to a person's previous earnings, and my Department uses data from the Revenue Commissioners for this purpose.
Where a person has applied for the Pandemic Unemployment Payment and my Department cannot find any record of PRSI contributions or earnings, it contacts the people concerned and asks them to submit evidence of employment, for example a pay slip. Where they provide the required evidence, their claim is then put into payment as quickly as possible.
I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
