I propose to take Questions Nos. 1057, 1084, 1085 and 1092 together.
The COVID 19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment was introduced in March 2020 as a time-limited emergency measure to meet the surge in unemployment which resulted from the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic. The conditions for receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment are that a person must be of working age between 18 and up to 66 years old, have been in employment immediately before 13th March and have lost their income from employment.
If a person was not in employment immediately prior to 13th March they are not eligible to receive the pandemic unemployment payment. Similarly a person, who was due to start a new job, enter employment after a career break or take up seasonal employment but was not actually in employment immediately before 13th March, is not eligible to receive the emergency payment.
It would be impossible to construct a scheme based on claims of potential or prospective but unrealised employment, particularly where the economy was operating at full-employment with many unfilled vacancies prior to the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.
People who do not qualify for the emergency payment are eligible to apply for jobseekers benefit if they meet the social insurance contribution condition requirement otherwise they may apply for means tested jobseekers allowance.
Any person who is experiencing financial hardship may be eligible for financial support under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme subject to satisfying the conditions of the scheme which include a means test.
I trust this clarifies the position.