Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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685. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the position regarding a Covid-19 crisis payment for a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14707/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) was introduced in response to the Covid-19 pandemic emergency.  As stipulated in the scheme guidelines both employees and self-employed people can apply for the payment if they satisfy a number of qualifying conditions as set out below. 

In order to qualify for the payment, an applicant must:

- be aged between 18 and 66 years old and

- be 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

- have worked in the Republic of Ireland or were a cross border frontier worker and

- not be in receipt of any employment income.

The person applied online for Covid-19 PUP on 31/3/2020 and received the weekly income support of €350 from 6/4/2020 to 8/6/2020 inclusive. 

However, the person concerned advised immigration officials at Dublin Airport on 27/4/2020 that he had left the State on 1/3/2020.  He was therefore not in the State at the time of his application for the Covid-19 PUP.  The claim was stopped by the Department’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) on 5/6/2020.  The person concerned was issued a review notice and SIU has had no further communication with him. 

It would appear now that the claim made by the person concerned for a Covid-19 PUP was invalid and there may be an overpayment due to the Department.

It is open to the person to review the eligibility criteria for Covid-19 PUP at the Department’s website www.Gov.ie/DEASP and to submit a further application if he feels he now meets the qualifying criteria.

If the person concerned considers he may have an entitlement to payments under Jobseeker’s Benefit/Allowance or Supplementary Welfare Allowance, he can obtain further information or apply online at www.mywelfare.ie.  Alternatively he can phone 1890 800 024 and request the relevant application form.

I trust this clarifies the matter.