Government has confirmed that part-time workers can avail of Covid-19 payment

The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection has said that part-time workers can avail of the new emergency Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment.

The Department said the income support can be claimed by people aged between 18 and 66, who are resident in Ireland, have become "fully unemployed" as a result of the virus, and are not being paid by their employer.

They must have been in employment or self-employment on or after 6 March – a condition that will allow to factor in people who may have been on shift, short time, or other atypical work patterns prior to the commencement of the benefit entitlement on 13 March.

However the Department states clearly: "There is no restriction on the number of hours the person has to have been working. The only requirement is that they have become fully unemployed since 13th March, 2020".

This means that anyone who was working part-time and claiming a Jobseeker payment either casually or on a systematic short-time basis (Short Time Work Support) is entitled to the payment - again provided they have now become fully unemployed.The Department also said: "If a rate of payment higher than €350 per week is due, an adjustment will be made to the existing claim".

Eligible applicants must apply either online at www.mywelfare.ie or by completing a paper application form. 

The Department has experienced unprecedented demand for income supports including the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment and Jobseeker payments since 13 March.

It said it is working on a technical solution to enable the payment to be made as soon as possible to these "casual customers" who interact with the Department on an intermittent basis.

Further Details;

The rate for this payment increased on the 24th of March. If you have applied before this date or are already in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment you do not need to do anything. Your next payment will be paid at the increased rate.

What the COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment is

The COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment is a payment of €350 per week. It is available to employees and the self-employed who have lost their job on (or after) March 13 due to the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic.

The COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment will be in place for the duration of the crisis.

How to qualify

You can apply for the new COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment if you:

• are aged between 18 and 66 years old and
• live in the Republic of Ireland and
• have lost your job due to the COVID-19 pandemic or
• if you are self-employed and have ceased trading due to the pandemic

If you are an employee and have:

• lost your job
• been temporarily laid off
• asked to stay at home
• not getting any money from an employer

The payment also applies to:

• non EU/EEA workers who have lost employment due to the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic
• students (and non-EU/EEA students) who have lost employment due to the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic
• part-time workers

If you voluntarily left your employment or self-employment or do not meet the above criteria, you cannot claim the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment

Rate of pay

The COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment is paid at a flat rate of €350 per week for the duration of the pandemic emergency. It was originally set at a rate of €203 but it was increased to €350 by government on 24 March.

If you have already applied before 24 March or are already in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment you do not need to do anything. Your next payment will be paid at the increased rate.

Payment is made by electronic transfer only (into your bank account) and only into accounts held in Irish financial institutions. It will be paid in to your bank account every Tuesday once your application is processed.

If you were working and were also in receipt of any social welfare payment such as a Carer's Payment, Working Family Payment (WFP) or One-Parent Family Payment, you can, provided you have lost your job due to COVID-19, also claim the COVID-19 emergency payment, in addition to retaining your existing welfare payment. The COVID-19 Payment Unemployment Payment will replace your employment income and will be regarded by the department as equivalent to employment income.

If you have one adult and one or more dependant children you should claim a Jobseeker's Payment instead of the COVID-19 Pandemic Payment.

This is because you can claim an additional allowance for your adult dependant and child dependants, which will bring your weekly payment to in excess of the €350 weekly payment due under the emergency COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment.

Apply online

The quickest and easiest way to apply for the emergency Covid-19 payment is by applying online at mywelfare.ie.

All you need is your email to set up a basic MyGovID account which then allows you to apply online.

Details have also been released regarding how to close a claim for Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment

If you are receiving a COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment you may need to close the claim if:

• your employer is paying you
• your employer is getting a payment with the Covid-19 Employer Refund Scheme or COVID-19 Wage Subsidy
• you have returned to your job or another job
• you did not lose your job due to the Covid-19 pandemic
• you are leaving Ireland

How to close

You can close your claim online at www.MyWelfare.ie under the Covid-19 payment section.

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