Patricia Ryan (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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573. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if pandemic unemployment payment recipients will still receive the Christmas bonus on 7 December 2020 if they return to work when the level 5 restrictions are lifted on 2 December 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36366/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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As part of Budget 2021, I was very happy to secure Government approval that the 2020 Christmas Bonus will be paid this year at a rate of 100%.

This bonus payment recognises the needs of people who are long-term financially dependent on their social welfare payment for all or most of their income.

In addition, in light of the exceptional circumstances arising from the pandemic, and on a once off basis, the bonus will be paid this year to certain Pandemic Unemployment Payment and Jobseeker recipients who are currently in receipt of these payments and have been for an aggregate of at least 4 months since the PUP payment was introduced in March.

Payment of the Christmas Bonus will be included with payments issuing during week commencing 7 December. In the case of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment, this relates to payments received by individuals on 8 December. These payments are in respect of the week from Friday 27 November to Thursday 3 December. A person who returns to work  on 2 December and advises my Department of that fact when closing their claim, is entitled to payment for the week ended 3 December. Accordingly, they will receive payment of the Christmas Bonus on 8 December if they are otherwise qualified for payment.

I hope that this clarifies matters for the Deputy.

Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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574. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the pandemic unemployment payment will be backdated to the date of application for successful applicants; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36403/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment was introduced as a support to employees who lost their employment as a direct consequence of Covid-19. It is also available to self-employed persons who can demonstrate that their income ceased, or reduced, as a direct consequence of Covid-19, to the extent that they would be available to take up full-time employment.

The Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment was placed on a statutory footing as a social welfare benefit in its own right from 5 August 2020 under the Social Welfare (Covid-19)(Amendment) Act 2020.

There is a requirement under social welfare legislation that persons must claim their entitlements within a specific period from the date their entitlement arises. The requirements in respect of the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment are the same as those which apply to Jobseekers payments generally. A person must submit their claim on their first day of unemployment. However, reasonable regard is had to issues such as postal delays. In addition, incomplete claims which are received or which cannot be initially processed are always taken from the date of initial receipt.  A claim may be backdated for up to six months where a person can prove to the satisfaction of a Deciding Officer or Appeals Officer that they satisfied the qualifying conditions throughout the period and that there was good cause for the delay in making their claim.  

 My Department is keenly aware that many people who applied for the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment may be due arrears, either because their first payment was not backdated to their initial date of application or because of some other issue such as, for example, an issue relating to bank account details. All claims are being identified to identify instances where this arose and to arrange for payments to be made to the individuals in question.

 In order to address an issue of this scale, my Department has been developing an automated process, which will examine each case and look at their overall entitlement to payment and match this against their payment history. The work involved is complex as the Pandemic Unemployment Payment system itself evolved from a manual applications system to one where applications were submitted online and paid over two different payment platforms (one from March to July and the second from July to date).

I can assure the Deputy that this work is a priority for my Department and it is hoped to make payments in the coming weeks.

I hope that this clarifies matters for the Deputy.