The Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) was introduced by my Department in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. It is an income support payment for both employees and the self-employed who have become fully unemployed due to a downturn in economic activity related to Covid-19. The Covid-19 PUP is payable where a person meeting the qualifying criteria became unemployed on or after 06/03/2020.
A person is eligible to apply for the Covid-19 (PUP) if they:
- are aged between 18 and 66 years old and
- are currently living in the Republic of Ireland and
- have lost their job due to the Covid-19 pandemic or
- have been temporarily laid off due to the Covid-19 pandemic and
- worked in the Republic of Ireland or were a cross border frontier worker and
- are not in receipt of any employment income
I am advised that as the workers referred to by the Deputy were not living in the Republic of Ireland and not employed within the State on or after 06/03/2020 they would not have met the eligibility criteria to apply for the Covid-19 PUP during their 2 week quarantine period.
I trust this clarifies the matter.