Closing your Pandemic Unemployment Payment account

The number of people receiving the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment has dipped by 5,000 to 584,600 over the last week.

With many businesses reopening on Monday, thousands of people in receipt of the payment will have to inform the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection of the change in their circumstances.

Here we walk you through the process.

I’m finally going back to work. Do I need to inform the department if I have been in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment?

Yes you do. The payment is designed to assist those who have lost their employment due to the coronavirus restrictions. Now that you’re back to work, you need to tell the department or you could be accused of welfare fraud.

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Okay, what do I have to do?

It’s very simple really and it can be done online at www.mywelfare.ie. Select the first button on the screen – “Covid-19 Services”. Then select the second button on the next screen – “Close your Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment”. Next, fill in the form on screen.

Sounds straightforward enough. What information will I need to complete the process?

You will be asked to provide your first name, last name, PPSN number, date of birth, mother’s maiden name, a contact phone number, and a reason for closing the payment from a drop down menu.

That’s fine, but what happens if I don’t have access to the internet?

If you are unable to close your claim online, you can call the department’s Covid-19 income support dedicated helpline at 1890-800-024. The team there will be happy to assist you in closing the claim. The helpline is available Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm.

Am I under pressure to do this immediately?

Under the first phase of the roadmap for the reopening of society and business, you are required to close your payment claim on the day that you return to work.

If for some reason, you fail to do so and the department finds that the payment has been paid in error, you can refund this money through a variety of ways, such as by debit card or bank transfer.