Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. The PUP was introduced as an emergency measure to provide an income support to those who had lost their employment as a result of Covid. A flat payment rate was introduced to ensure that the scheme was simple and accessible for the unprecedented number of applicants.

On 26 June 2020, the PUP moved to two rates of payment. This change more closely linked the rate of payment to the amount that individuals previously earned. For employees, the greater of their gross weekly earnings in either 2019 or January to February 2020 was used to determine the rate of payment. For self-employed people, a different approach was required, based on their average weekly income for 2018 as this was the latest tax year for which verifiable data on self-employed income was available. As the Deputy will be aware, I subsequently asked my officials to ensure that where self-employed income for 2019 was available, this was also taken into account. We wanted to make sure people received as much support as possible.

Those who felt that the assessment of their earnings, based on returns submitted to Revenue, was inaccurate could ask for a review of their case. To date, 1,064 individuals have had their rate of payment increased. In addition, a detailed examination of all cases was undertaken by the Department to take account of updated income details where these had become available. This identified a further 3,885 currently awarded claims where the rate of payment should have remained at €350 from 26 June 2020. Arrears will issue to these customers this week.

A further 11,815 claims, which are now closed, have been identified for examination as arrears may also be due in those cases if payment extended beyond 26 June. Once this examination is complete, the payment of rate change arrears will be addressed. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

The officials and staff in the Department have done Trojan work. They were faced with an avalanche of almost 600,000 claims for the PUP at its height. They worked diligently to try to get payments out as quickly as possible. I acknowledge there are some arrears but we are working our way through them to try to get them up to date as soon as we can.

See this speech in context