Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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1006. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons moving from the pandemic unemployment payment to jobseekers payments; the way that the process of job activation will work for these recipients; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19766/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) was introduced in response to the unprecedented disruption to the labour market caused by the Covid-19 Pandemic.  Over 880,000 people received payment under the scheme, with 28.8 million payments issuing at a cost of over €9 billion.

The scheme has been wound up as Covid related restrictions have lifted.  A staged approach to the wind-up of PUP has been in place since October 2021 reflecting Government decisions to avoid the cliff edge of the sudden withdrawal of supports.  The final stage of that process has now been reached.

Following the payments on 29 March, the transition process to full jobseeker terms for all remaining PUP recipients commenced with first jobseeker payments paid on 5th April.  Some 22,000 PUP recipients transferred to full jobseeker terms over the weekend of 26 / 27 March 2022.

Labour Market activation policies are designed to give jobseekers a better chance of finding employment, and the primary goal of my Department’s activation services is to move people from unemployment to full-time and sustained employment.  In accepting payment of Jobseeker's Benefit or Assistance, the customer agrees to avail himself/herself of the appropriate support measures on offer during the course of the activation process.

Individuals who have been in receipt of PUP for less than 12 months and transition to a jobseeker payment are brought into the existing Intreo activation process.  Individuals who have been in receipt of PUP for 12 months or more and transition to a jobseeker payment are referred to my Department’s contracted activation services.  The majority of those who transitioned from PUP to a jobseeker payment are long term unemployed as the PUP scheme closed to new applications in July 2021 and only re-opened on a limited basis between December 2021 and January 2022.

The Department’s activation services, both through Intreo and contracted service providers, offer one to one engagement for jobseekers in identifying and overcoming barriers to employment.  

Any person who requires the assistance of the Department’s activation services can contact a case officer in their local Intreo office for advice and assistance and possible referral on other services of the Department.

I trust that this clarifies matters for the Deputy.