Adding to the efforts that Ireland has been making to combat the Coronavirus, it has come up with COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment. This is a new social welfare scheme which promises to pay €350 a week to employees and self-employed people who happened to have lost all their employment or income prospects due to COVID-19 restrictions. Students, non-EEA nationals (European Economic Area which comprises of European Union and Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway) and part-time workers can apply for this payment.
Terms and Conditions of COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment
- The beneficiary must be in age bracket of 18 to 66
- He/she must be living in the Republic of Ireland
- Must be employed/self-employed immediately before 13th March 2020.
- Must be jobless, temporarily laid-off from work or is staying at home from work due to COVID-19 public health emergency
- Self-employed individuals have their trading income ceased due to the COVID-19 restrictions. They do not need to de-register as self-employed individuals
- Pregnant women without work and job pay can apply for this payment
- It can be claimed alongside other social welfare payments like carer’s payment, Working Family Payment or One-Parent Family Payment, provided that COVID-19 is the sole ground for the loss of the job
- This payment will be made until at least 08th June 2020
- One cannot claim the payment if you have the job voluntarily or is getting income from the employer
- In case, the claimant gets re-employed, he/she must close the claim under COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment
- Workers who live in Northern Ireland are not eligible to apply for this payment
- There is no payment for the dependents
The easiest and quickest way to apply for COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment is through online mode on MyWelfare.ie. All a claimant needs to have is the MyGovId account, personal details and the Bank details. The alternative is to apply offline by filling the COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment payment Application Form pdf and posting it to the respective authorities.
Ireland has shown extreme dedication towards its people, irrespective of their original country. It has provided assistance and benefits to one and all without any discrimination. This demonstration of the idealism in its culture, is one of many reasons why people migrate to Ireland or the students who go to study in Ireland and wish to settle there in future. You can always look up to study abroad consultants, if you wish to live your learning years in this beautiful country and set up your path to establish yourself in Ireland.