Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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459. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if maternity benefit is counted as income for the pandemic unemployment payment; and if not, if she will rectify that to include same. [16664/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The COVID-19 pandemic unemployment payment was introduced as a time limited emergency measure in response to the pandemic. A two level payment structure has been introduced to link the pandemic unemployment payment level to prior earnings.

If a recipient’s gross weekly earnings were €200 or higher then there is no change to their rate of payment. If a person’s gross weekly earnings were under €200 then the rate of the pandemic unemployment payment has been adjusted to €203 per week which is in line with the standard personal rate of jobseeker's benefit. The majority of recipients, approximately 75%, have not been impacted by this change in rate.

A person’s gross weekly earnings are determined by reference to earnings data supplied by Revenue. Amounts paid by way of maternity benefit are not included in the calculation of gross weekly earnings.

Where a person’s rate is reduced to the flat rate €203 per week and their family circumstances are that they have adult or child dependents in their household it may be more financially beneficial to apply for a jobseekers payment.

I trust that this clarifies the matter.