Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein)
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171. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her views on a case in which an employee who is in receipt of the pandemic unemployment payment and has not been told when they will be returning to work back by their employer despite the business having reopened; her views on whether it is appropriate for an employee who has been left in limbo by their employer is now facing a cut to their pandemic unemployment payment despite being ready and willing to return to work; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28397/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) is a statutory income support payment provided for employees and the self employed who have lost work as a direct consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Government has confirmed that the PUP will be kept at its current rates and the scheme will remain open to new entrants until 30th June 2021. The Government will set out plans for the future of the PUP payment after June over the coming weeks. This will involve taking account of the trajectory of the virus, progress on the vaccine roll out, progress in terms of people returning to work and the continued impact of the pandemic on the economy over the period ahead.

In the situation the Deputy has outlined, the person can continue to receive PUP where they continue to satisfy the scheme’s qualifying conditions to maintain entitlement, including that they do not refuse an offer to return to their employment.

I trust that this clarifies the position for the Deputy at this time.