The Pandemic Unemployment Payment is set to face changes within days as the welfare benefit gets phased out over time.
The social welfare payment introduced as a support to workers laid off during the pandemic will be altered after the Bank Holiday weekend.
From Tuesday, October 26, PUP recipients on the basic rate will transition to jobseekers, meaning the amount they receive each week will be reduced.
This change had been due to take effect from September 7 but was delayed due to outcry from people who would be left worse off by the decrease.
According to the Department of Social Protection, if you earned less than €200 per week and were on the €203 rate of payment up to September 7, 2021 the process of moving to a jobseeker’s payment was due to begin in early September.
This was deferred until after all sectors started to re-open in line with the Government Roadmap announced on August 31.
It means people on this €203 rate will continue to receive a PUP payment until Tuesday if they are still eligible. At that point, the process of their possible transition to a jobseeker's payment will begin.
The changes from October 26 are:
- If you earned between €200 and €299.99 per week - the rate of payment will be €203 per week
- If you earned between €300 and €399.99 per week - the rate of payment will be €250 per week
- If you earned €400 or more - the rate of payment will be €300 per week
The PUP is set to change again next month, with more cuts planned for November 16.
The Department says that if you earned between €200 and €299.99 per week and were on the €203 rate of payment up to November 9, you will start moving to standard jobseeker’s terms.
If you earned between €300 and €399.99 per week - the rate of payment will be €203 per week.
And if you earned €400 or more - the rate of payment will be €250 per week.
It comes as latest figures show that 93,399 people received the Pandemic Unemployment Payment this week.
This represents a fall of 3,731 compared to last week, with the greatest reduction in the Accommodation and Food Services sector, as it has been for the past 19 weeks.
