John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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469. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason an application for the pandemic unemployment payment was denied in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16864/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) was introduced by my Department in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. It is an income support payment for both employees and the self-employed who have become fully unemployed due to a downturn in economic activity related to Covid-19. The PUP is payable where a person meeting the qualifying criteria became unemployed on or after 06/03/2020.

A person is eligible to apply for the PUP if they:

- are aged between 18 and 66 years old and

- are 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

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

- are not in receipt of any employment income

According to the records of my Department, the person concerned ceased employment on 28/2/2020. His application for a PUP was denied as he did not meet the eligibility criteria for this income support as he was not employed on or after 6/3/2020.

The records of my Department show the person concerned submitted an application for a jobseeker's benefit dated 12/3/2020. In this application he confirmed his last day worked was 28/2/2020 and his employment had ended. His loss of employment was not due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The person concerned also provided a letter from his former employer confirming this information. A jobseeker's benefit payment was subsequently awarded from 12/3/2020. According to records the person concerned withdrew his jobseeker’s benefit payment on 10/6/2020.

If the person concerned feels he meets the eligibility criteria for a jobseeker’s benefit payment, it is open to him to make a further application, either through www.mywelfare.ie or at his local Intreo Centre in Bishop’s Square.

I trust this clarifies the matter.

Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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471. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the case of a person (details supplied) will be examined. [16896/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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From the 29/06/2020 the rate of the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) which a person receives depends on their gross weekly employment earnings.

The rate of PUP is based on prior earnings notified to Revenue. It is important to note that my Department can only accept earnings which have been notified to Revenue and subject to PRSI.

According to the records of my Department the last return for the first person concerned was in 2018 (52 A class PRSI contributions) and the last return for the second person concerned was in 2017 (52 S class PRSI contributions). In both cases as no earnings were available as an employee in 2019 or as a self-employed person in 2018, the rate of PUP was reduced to €203 per week.

If the persons concerned wish to pursue a review of their revised weekly PUP payment, it is open to them to contact my Department as outlined below.

Requests for a review of earnings should be emailed to PUPRerate@welfare.ie. The persons concerned should attach all supporting employment documentation in support of their review request to this email. Alternatively, they can write to PUP Rerate Requests, DEASP, Intreo Centre, Cork Road, Waterford, again making sure to include all supporting documentation.

Their cases can then be examined and any necessary follow up action taken.

I trust this clarifies the matter.