Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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840. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason the updated Covid-19 payment for self-employed persons is not calculated over a two-year period similar to that used for PRSI workers (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13169/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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On 5th June the Government approved the extension of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment until 10th August.  From 29th June a two-level payment structure was introduced to link the pandemic unemployment payment level to gross prior earnings or income.  The majority of recipients will not be impacted by these changes as it is estimated that approximately three-quarters of recipients will continue to receive the €350 rate of payment until 10 August.

Where a person’s previous gross weekly earnings were €200 or higher there will be no change to their rate of PUP payment.  If a person’s previous gross weekly earnings were under €200 the rate of their Pandemic Unemployment Payment will be adjusted to €203.  This is equivalent to

the full personal rate of Jobseeker Benefit.

For self-employed people their gross average weekly income for 2018 will be used to calculate the rate of the pandemic unemployment payment, which is the last tax year for which complete data on self-employed income is available.

I trust that this clarifies the matter.