Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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517. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if consideration has been given to extend further jobseeker's benefit due to the Covid-19 pandemic; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40492/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Jobseeker's Benefit is a weekly payment to people who have lost their employment and who satisfy the scheme's statutory conditions including the requirement to have paid sufficient social insurance contributions. This benefit is paid for 9 months (234 days) to people who have paid 260 or more PRSI contributions and for 6 months (156 days) to people who have paid less than 260 contributions.

If a person has exhausted their entitlement to Jobseeker's Benefit they may apply for support under the means-tested Jobseeker's Allowance which is payable to an individual of working age for as long as they continue to meet the conditionality of the scheme.

The Social Welfare (Covid-19) (Amendment) Act 2020, provides, amongst other provisions, for the attribution of social insurance contributions, for a prescribed period, to insured persons who were beneficiaries of certain income support payments. These payments include jobseekers benefit where an individual would otherwise be entitled to the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP).

The attribution of contributions measure will ensure that eligible persons will have social insurance contributions attributed to them at the same value as they were paying while employed immediately before going on the payment. The measure means that people who lost their jobs arising from the Covid-19 pandemic will maintain their entitlements to short-term payments, as well as enhancing their PRSI records for long-term entitlements. Any person in receipt of Jobseekers Benefit, where they had an underlying entitlement to PUP, and where that benefit has exhausted should contact their Intreo centre to assess their appropriate entitlement.

I trust that this clarifies the position at this time.