COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment

PUP - End of Payment

The COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) was a social welfare payment for employees and self-employed people who lost all their employment due to the COVID-19 public health emergency.  The Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) was closed for new applications in January 2022 and the final payments to PUP recipients were made last week. From 25 March 2022, people who were in receipt of PUP may qualify for a Jobseeker's payment instead of PUP payment, if they meet the underlying qualification criteria.

People who have applied for a Jobseeker’s payment will continue to get a PUP payment until their application for a Jobseeker's payment has been processed by the DSP.

Jobseeker’s Payments

There are three types of Jobseekers’ payments:

• Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Jobseeker’s Benefit 
• Jobseeker’s Benefit (Self-Employed).

If you have made an application for a Jobseeker's payment, you should continue to receive a PUP payment until your application for a Jobseeker's payment has been processed by the DSP.

Jobseeker’s Allowance

To qualify for Jobseeker's Allowance, you must:

• Be over 18 and under 66 years of age.
• Satisfy a means test.
• Be habitually resident in Ireland.
• Be capable of work.
• Be available for full-time work.
• Be genuinely seeking work.
• Be fully or partly unemployed (at least 4 days out of work in every 7).

 

Jobseeker’s Benefit

To qualify for Jobseeker's Benefit, you must:

• Be fully or partly unemployed.
• Be under 66 years of age.
• Be capable of work and be available for full-time work.
• Be genuinely seeking work.
• Be unemployed for at least 4 days out of every 7.
• Have enough paid PRSI contributions at class A, H, or P.

 

Jobseeker’s Benefit (Self-Employed)

To qualify for Jobseeker's Benefit for the Self-Employed, you must:

• Be under the pension age, which is currently 66 years of age.
• Satisfy the PRSI contribution conditions. 
• Not be engaged in self-employment.
• Be capable of working and available for full-time work.
• Be genuinely seeking work.
• Prove unemployment in the prescribed manner.

Application Successful

If your application is successful, you will transfer from the PUP payment to a Jobseeker’s payment. Jobseekers' payments are not paid at the same rate as the PUP payment.

The rates of payment on Jobseekers’ payments can vary subject to certain qualification criteria, e.g. previous earnings, means testing, etc.

Application Unsuccessful / Partially Successful

If your application is not successful, or only partially successful, you will receive a decision in writing from the Department of Social Protection advising you of:

• the decision itself,
• the grounds (reasons) for the decision, and
• any information or details relied upon by the DSP in reaching that decision.

You will be advised that you have the right to seek a review of the decision, if you believe it was factually incorrect, or if you have any additional information or evidence which you can provide, and which you believe is relevant for consideration in relation to the decision regarding your jobseeker’s application.

This review is carried out by the original Deciding Officer (DO) of the department who made the original decision in relation to your application / claim.

If the review is unsuccessful, you will be advised of your right to seek a formal appeal to the Social Welfare Appeals Office.

Please contact the INOU for more information in relation to appeals.

Non-Jobseekers

Not all people exiting the Pandemic Unemployment Payment will qualify for / will apply for a jobseeker’s payment.

Disability Payments

Unfit for work

One of the key qualification criteria for a Jobseeker’s payment is that the applicant is fit for work.

Where a person is unfit for work due to an injury, illness, or disability they may qualify for a disability payment from the Department of Social Protection (DSP).

Medical Assessment

All Disability payments from the Department of Social Protection require that you provide a medical report from your doctor as to the nature and extent of your condition.

All applications are subject to review by a DSP medical assessor. A clinical diagnosis of a medical condition does not automatically qualify a person for a disability payment.

While a diagnosis of a medical condition by a doctor / specialist / consultant is a significant considerate factor in determining the nature / level and extent of a person’s disability - the main consideration by the Department of Social Protection is the person’s ability or capacity to engage in work that would be suitable for a person of their age, experience, and qualification.

Application

If you apply for a Disability payment, you may not qualify for a Jobseeker’s payment, pending the processing of your application.

If you have applied for a Disability payment and you have no other income or means of support, you can apply for a Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) payment from the Department of Social Protection (DSP).

SWA payments are means tested and will take into consideration, including savings (disregards apply), investments, property (other than your own home), and any income your spouse / partner may have.

If you qualify for a SWA payment, this payment will continue until the DSP have made a decision about your application. If your application is successful, your SWA payment will stop and your Disability payment will be paid instead. If your application is unsuccessful, you will be advised of your right of review / appeal (see below).

If you exercise your right of review / appeal, the SWA payment may continue until the outcome of the review / appeal. If your review / appeal is successful, your Disability payment will come into payment, however if your review / appeal is unsuccessful, your SWA payment may stop.

For more information and support contact the INOU

Application Successful

If your application is successful, you will qualify for a Disability payment. Disability payments are not paid at the same rate as the PUP payment.

The rates of payment on Disability payments can vary subject to certain qualification criteria, e.g. PRSI Contributions, means testing, etc.

Application Unsuccessful / Partially Successful

If your application is not successful, or only partially successful, you will receive a decision in writing from the Department of Social Protection advising you of:

• the decision itself,
• the grounds (reasons) for the decision, and
• any information or details relied upon by DSP in reaching that decision.

You will be advised that you have the right to seek a review of the decision, if you believe it was factually incorrect, or if you have any additional information or evidence which you can provide, and which you believe is relevant for consideration in relation to the decision regarding your Disability payment application.

This review is carried out by the original Deciding Officer (DO) of the department who made the original decision in relation to your application / claim. If the review is unsuccessful, you will be advised of your right to seek a formal appeal to the Social Welfare Appeals Office.

Please contact the INOU for more information in relation to appeals.

Disability Allowance

Disability Allowance is a weekly allowance paid to people with a disability. To qualify for the payment the applicant must:

• Have an injury, disease or physical or mental disability that has continued for at least one year or is expected to continue for at least one year; and
• Be substantially restricted because of the disability from doing work that would be suitable for a person of that age, experience, and qualifications; and
• Be aged between 16 and 66; and
• Pass a means test – a means test looks at any income that a person has, including savings, investments, property (other than their own home) and any income their spouse / partner may have. Certain disregards apply and not all income is counted on a euro for euro basis.

Rates of payment are determined subject to family size and income assessed as part of the means test. Invalidity Pension Invalidity Pension is a weekly payment to people who cannot work because of a long-term illness or disability and have enough social insurance (PRSI) contributions to qualify for the payment. To qualify you must: • have been incapable of work for at least 12 months and be likely to be incapable of work for at least another 12 months, (you may have been getting Illness Benefit or Disability Allowance during that time), or • be permanently incapable of work (in certain cases of profoundly serious illness or disability, you can transfer directly from another social welfare payment or from your job to Invalidity Pension). The personal rate of Invalidity Pension is not means tested, and is not affected by any savings, investments, property (other than your own home) and any income your spouse / partner may have. Any payment you may receive for your spouse / partner (Adult Dependant) may be affected by any income they may have.

 

 

Contact Us

Telephone

You can speak, in complete confidence, to an Information Officer in the Information and Advocacy section directly at 01 - 856 0088 , Monday - Thursday 9.30 am to 5.00 pm and Friday 9.30am to 4.00pm.

Online

Use the online Contact Us forms on the INOU website

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