A Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment has been introduced for anyone whose employer is unable to continue to pay them.
The payment is available to all employees and the self-employed who have lost employment due to the pandemic. You will get a payment of €203 per week for up to 6 weeks (as applicable).
What the COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment is
This new payment will be available to all employees and the self-employed who have lost employment due to a downturn in economic activity caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The payment has a simple one–page application form and will be paid for a period of 6 weeks at a flat rate payment of €203 per week for jobseekers. It is designed to quickly deliver a social welfare payment to the unemployed and provide income security during this 6-week period.
Individuals applying for the payment will be required to apply for the normal jobseeker’s payments within this 6-week period. Once this normal jobseeker claim is subsequently received, the department will process these claims and accommodate payments at that time. This will involve backdating increased payments for certain customers.
We would ask the members of the public to please assist us over the next few days by applying for income support from the department, such as the full Jobseeker’s Payment, through our online channel mywelfare.ie.
Rate of payment
The flat rate for this payment is €203 paid for a 6-week period. It is equivalent to the jobseeker payment rate.
During that 6-week period the person will be required to complete and return a full jobseeker’s form.
COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment: How to claim the emergency payment
This guide describes how to apply for the COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment.
Link here – https://assets.gov.ie/71477/5df3b7f1f0fc454faefd8f906100ff99.pdf
COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment Application Form
This is the application form for the COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment.
Link here – https://assets.gov.ie/71472/a026043e90cc4d03bdfb1f3a58f3d7af.pdf
Download
Fill out the following application form, then send the completed application form by Freepost to:
PO BOX 12896, Dublin 1.
To help us to process all payments as quickly as possible, we would kindly ask you not to phone the department seeking updates on your application as staff will be focusing on processing applications. Thank you for your cooperation.
