Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 11 May 2022
192. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons in counties Westmeath and Longford, respectively, who transferred from the pandemic unemployment payment to unemployment benefit or unemployment allowance when the pandemic unemployment payment was discontinued. [23723/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) was introduced in response to the unprecedented disruption to the labour market caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic. Over the course of the pandemic, over 880,000 individuals received support under the scheme, at an associated cost of over €9 billion.
Following the full lifting of public health restrictions earlier this year, the scheme has now been wound down. The phased closure of the PUP, which was initiated in October 2021, concluded at the end of March this year.
Following the final PUP on March 29th, the transition process to jobseeker terms for eligible PUP recipients commenced, with the first jobseeker payments paid on 5 April.
In Longford, on the week of 5 April, there were 82 people who had transitioned from the PUP in receipt of Jobseeker’s Allowance and 165 people in receipt of Jobseeker’s Benefit. Similarly, on the same week in Westmeath, there were 169 people in receipt of Jobseeker’s Allowance claims and 447 in receipt of Jobseeker’s Benefit, who transitioned from the PUP.
These figures also include those who transitioned to a Jobseeker’s payment at other stages of the phased closure of the scheme, provided their PUP was within 31 days of opening their Jobseeker’s claim. They are also inclusive of ‘casuals’.
My Department is actively working to assist all those individuals that transitioned from the PUP to standard jobseeker terms back into work.
