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Social Welfare Benefits

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 23 September 2021

Thursday, 23 September 2021

Questions (297)

Claire Kerrane

Question:

297. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the way the pandemic unemployment payment will be treated when it comes to calculating jobseeker’s benefit for individuals in 2023, relating to pay and weeks worked in 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45829/21]

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Written answers

Jobseekers Benefit is a social insurance based statutory income support provided by the Department for people who are covered by PRSI paid contributions and satisfy the other qualifying conditions of the scheme.

The Social Welfare (Covid-19) (Amendment) Act 2020 provides for the attribution of social insurance contributions to insured persons who were beneficiaries of the pandemic unemployment payment (PUP). This provision ensures that employees entitled to and in receipt of PUP will have social insurance contributions attributed to them at the same value as they were paying while employed immediately before going on to the payment. The measure means that people who lost their jobs arising from the Covid-19 pandemic will not be disadvantaged in accessing social insurance benefits in the future.

The rate of payment for Jobseekers Benefit is graduated according to a person’s average weekly earnings in the GCY, which is the second last complete tax year before the year in which the claim is made. The GCY for claims made in the current year is 2019 and for claims made in 2023 will be 2021.

I trust that this clarifies the position for the Deputy at this time.

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