Five PUP rates of up to €350 a week available from tomorrow

Five rates of payment linked to previous income will be available under the Pandemic Unemployment Payment when it reopens on Tuesday to new applicants laid off due to the latest public health restrictions.

The "limited" reopening of the payment is designed to support those workers who lose employment as a direct result of the new anti-Covid-19 measures, Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys said.

There will be five rates of Pup payable, which will be determined by the person’s weekly earnings, and the Department of Social Protection will use Revenue data to verify the employment status for all applicants.

To align Pup with the Employer Wage Subsidy Scheme and to better reflect the earnings of part-time workers, a new rate of €150 will be payable to those who previously earned less than €151.50 per week, the Minister said.

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Those who were earning €151.50-€200 a week will be eligible for a €203 payment, €200-€299 makes you eligible for €250 and at €300-€399, the payment rises to €300.

The highest rate under the scheme,€350 per week, is for those earning more than €400 per week.

Although applicants should apply online, they may be required, as is the case with other work-related payments, to attend an Intreo centre to present evidence of their employment status.

The quickest way to apply is via MyWelfare.ie. Applications can be made from Tuesday, December 7th, and eligible applicants will receive their first payment on Tuesday, December 14th.

On Friday, the Government announced new Covid-19 restrictions, including the closure of nightclubs and reintroduction of capacity limits on indoor events, from Tuesday until January 9th.

Speaking on RTÉ radio’s News at One, the Minister said that if people could show that they had been “genuinely laid off” because of the most recent restrictions, they would qualify for the Pup. “We are here to help you,” she said.

It was important that people, especially those who worked in the nightclub sector, would be supported alongside those in hospitality who had lost work because events had been cancelled.

Ms Humphreys pointed out that anyone who had their working hours shortened could qualify for the short-time payment.

There are 53,000 people currently on Pup, she said, 47,000 of them for more than 12 months. These people will continue to receive the payment at the same rate they are on at present.

New PUP rates from December 7th, (based on prior weekly earnings):

€400+              €350

€300-€399      €300

€200-€299      €250

€151.50-€200  €203

Under €151.50   €150