Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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520. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason a person (details supplied) was refused the higher rate of Covid-19 pandemic unemployment payment; if further supporting evidence supplied was considered in the review; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25044/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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From 17 September 2020 until 31 January 2021 the Pandemic Unemployment Payment will be paid at 3 rates.

If a customer earned less than €200 per week - the rate of the payment will be €203 per week , which is the same as the primary rate of Jobseekers Benefit. If a customer earned between €200 and €300 per week - the rate of payment will be €250 per week. If a customer earned over €300 per week - the rate will be €300 per week

My Department is currently managing requests from customers in relation to reviews of rates of payment. I am advised that, that on examination of this case, Department records (confirmed by the Revenue Commissioners) currently show no reckonable earnings in either 2019 or 2020 for the person concerned. As this produces a weekly earnings figure of below €200 per week, the lower weekly rate of €203 is the maximum possible rate currently applicable in the circumstances.

If the person concerned believes that the earnings information held by the Department is inaccurate, or wishes to provide further details of recent employment or self-employment income, the relevant documentation should be supplied to the Department.

If, pending the completion of a review of her entitlements, the person concerned is experiencing financial difficulties at the moment, she may wish contact her local Community Welfare office to make a claim for a means tested supplementary welfare allowance.

I trust that this clarifies the matter.