S.I. No. 448/2021 - Social Welfare (Consolidated Claims, Payments and Control) (Amendment) (No. 14) (Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment) Regulations 2021

Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

“Iris Oifigiúil” of 3rd September, 2021.

I, HEATHER HUMPHREYS, Minister for Social Protection, having regard to the continuing risks to public health arising from COVID-19 and the consequent impact on employers and employees, and having regard to the matters specified in subsection (3) of section 68N, subsection (4) of section 68O and subsection (2) of section 68P of Chapter 12B (inserted by section 11 of the Social Welfare (Covid-19) (Amendment) Act 2020 (No. 12 of 2020)) and in exercise of the powers conferred on me by sections 4 (as adapted by the Employment Affairs and Social Protection (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2020 ( S.I. No. 447 of 2020 )) and 68N(1), 68N(2), 68O(3) and 68P of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 (No. 26 of 2005), with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, hereby make the following Regulations:

Citation and construction

1. (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Social Welfare (Consolidated Claims, Payments and Control) (Amendment) (No. 14) (Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment) Regulations 2021.

(2) These Regulations and the Social Welfare (Consolidated Claims, Payments and Control) Regulations 2007 to 2021 shall be construed together as one and may be cited together as the Social Welfare (Consolidated Claims, Payments and Control) Regulations 2007 to 2021.

Commencement

2. These Regulations commence on 3 September 2021.

Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment

3. The Social Welfare (Consolidated Claims, Payments and Control) Regulations 2007 are amended–

(a) by the substitution of the following article for article 52J (amended by article 5 of the Social Welfare (Consolidated Claims, Payments and Control) (Amendment) (No. 15) (Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment – new band of payment and reference period) Regulations 2020. ( S.I. No. 572 of 2020 ):

“Rates of payment.

52J (1) In the case of a person whose average reckonable weekly income, calculated in accordance with article 52I, is less than €200.00, the weekly rate of Covid-19 pandemic unemployment payment shall, subject to article 52M, be as follows:

(a) €203.00, from 3 September 2021.

(2) In the case of a person whose average reckonable weekly income, calculated in accordance with article 52I, is equal to or greater than €200.00 but less than €300.00, the weekly rate of Covid-19 pandemic unemployment payment shall, subject to article 52M, be as follows:

(a) €203.00, from 3 September 2021.

(3) In the case of a person whose average reckonable weekly income, calculated in accordance with article 52I, is equal to or greater than €300.00 but less than €400.00, the weekly rate of Covid-19 pandemic unemployment payment shall, subject to article 52M, be as follows:

(a) €250.00, from 3 September 2021, and

(b) €203.00, from 5 November 2021.

(4) In the case of a person whose average reckonable weekly income, calculated in accordance with article 52I, is greater than €400.00, the weekly rate of Covid-19 pandemic unemployment payment shall, subject to article 52M, be as follows:

(a) €300.00, from 3 September 2021,

(b) €250.00, from 5 November 2021, and

(c) €203.00, from 28 January 2022.”,

and

(b) by the insertion of the following article after article 52L:

“Date on which payment of the covid-19 pandemic unemployment payment shall cease to be made.

52M. For the purposes of section 68N(2)(b), in the case of a person who is attending a course of study as defined in section 148, and who by virtue of section 68A, 68K or 148 would not be entitled to receive, as the case may be, jobseeker’s benefit, jobseeker’s benefit (self-employed) or jobseeker’s allowance, the 3^rd day of September 2021 is prescribed as the date on which payment of Covid-19 pandemic unemployment payment shall cease to be made.”.

The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform consents to the foregoing Regulations.

GIVEN under my Official Seal,

31 August, 2021.

MICHAEL MCGRATH,

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.

GIVEN under my Official Seal,

31 August, 2021.

HEATHER HUMPHREYS,

Minister for Social Protection.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Instrument and does not purport to be a legal interpretation.)

These Regulations amend the Social Welfare (Consolidated Claims, Payments and Control) Regulations to specify new weekly rates of Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment.

A new weekly rate of Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment has been specified for each of three distinct periods commencing 3 September 2021, during which most of those who continue to qualify for Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment will receive a reduced rate of payment.

From 3 September, those whose average reckonable weekly income is less than €200.00 will continue to receive €203.00.

However, for those whose average reckonable weekly income was equal to or greater than €200.00 but less than €300.00, the rate of Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment of €250.00 will decrease by €47.00 per week from 3 September. Their payment will be reduced to €203.00 per week.

Those whose average reckonable weekly income was equal to or greater than €300.00 but less than €400.00 and those whose average reckonable weekly income was equal to or greater than €400.00 will see a reduction of €50.00 per week in the amount of Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment from 3 September 2021. For these, the weekly rate of Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment will be €250.00 and €300.00, respectively.

From 5 November 2021, for those whose average reckonable weekly income was equal to or greater than €300.00, the rate of Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment will decrease by €47.00 per week to €203.00 per week, while those whose average reckonable weekly income was greater than €400.00 will see a reduction of €50.00 per week to €250.00.

Finally, from 28 January 2022 those whose average reckonable weekly income was greater than €400.00 the rate of Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment will decrease by €47.00 per week to €203.00 per week.

The Regulations also provide that payment of Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment will cease for people pursuing a full-time course of study on 3 September 2021.