Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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2147. To ask the Minister for Health if persons will lose out on their medical cards as a result of accepting the pandemic unemployment payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28721/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The HSE PCRS assesses the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) as equivalent to employment income when conducting its financial assessment for a medical card or GP Visit card. This is because the rate of payment is aligned with previous earnings from employment and it also ensures alignment with the approach taken by the Department of Social Protection in relation to this payment.

As all holders of medical cards and GP Visit cards are subject to periodic review by PCRS, the standard assessment/review processes with regard to all income apply to determine continued eligibility or not.

However, with the phasing out of the PUP under the Government’s National Economic Action Plan, those persons who are not in employment will receive Jobseeker’s Benefit or Jobseeker’s Assistance. In accordance with the HSE Medical Card and GP visit card guidelines, where a person's sole income is derived from a social welfare payment, even where this is more than the current means threshold, he/she will be awarded a medical card.