TD to ensure PUP recipients have access to benefits
Recipients of Jobseeker’s payments who lost employment since March 13 and people on Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme will also benefit from this legislative provision.
Moves have been put in place to ensure people who lost their jobs during Covid-19 will still have full access to vital social insurance benefits.
Social Protection Minister and local TD, Heather Humphreys today (Monday, July 13) sought Cabinet approval to introduce a new bill which will ensure PRSI contributions are applied to those in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP). This means that the PRSI stamps accumulated by workers during the duration of the pandemic will also be attributed to PUP recipients.
“Due to the exceptional circumstances of Covid-19, this legislation provides for the period of time in which people are in receipt of a Covid-PUP will be entitled to the award of paid contributions at the same class as to those which they received while in employment,” Ms Humphreys said.
“This will be important in order to protect a person’s entitlement to future payments - both long-term payments (such as pensions) but particularly shorter term payments such as Illness, Maternity and Paternity Benefits which require a contribution record up to the date at which benefit is claimed.
Recipients of Jobseeker’s payments who lost employment since March 13 and people on Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme will also benefit from this legislative provision.
The measures around PRSI were confirmed as it emerged over 66,000 fewer people are in receipt of PUP compared to last week. It represented the single largest weekly drop since the payment was introduced by the Government.
Welcoming the figures, Ms Humphreys stated: “It is heartening to see that the phased approach set out in the Roadmap to Recovery is now being reflected in the number of people returning to work. These figures are reassuring for employees, businesses and communities throughout the State as they clearly show people getting back to work with a significant fall in the number of people in every county receiving the Pandemic Unemployment Payment.”
She added: “The Government is now finalising its work on preparing the July Economic stimulus package that will drive the way for an economic recovery. I am confident this will help the thousands of workers and businesses who were badly impacted as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.”