I propose to take Questions Nos. 1182, 1245 and 1278 together.
The COVID 19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment was introduced in March 2020 as an emergency time-limited measure to meet the surge in unemployment which resulted from the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic. This emergency payment was introduced to support persons aged between 18 and up to 66 years old who have lost their employment due to the downturn in economic activity caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and where they are not being paid by their employer. In order to qualify for the payment a person must have been in employment on or after the 6th March. The conditions around the payment to self-employed people are that they must have experienced a collapse of income and be available to take up other full-time work if it was available to them in order to qualify.
People who do not meet these conditions may be eligible for support under the social insurance based jobseekers benefit schemes or the means tested jobseekers allowance scheme depending on their individual circumstances. People who are already in receipt of a jobseekers payment, which may include substitute teachers and exam invigilators, who were not employed on 6 March will continue to remain on this payment for as long as they are entitled to it.
Where a person is experiencing financial hardship they can apply for financial support Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme.
I trust that this clarifies the matter.