Further update : Essential information for workers facing layoff and/or requiring Department of Social Protection support

March 16th: With regard to the COVID-19 situation, further updates have been issued through the Department of Employment & Social Protection to Trade Unions.

This information focuses on workers in lay-off situations and requiring and needing to deal with the Department.

Please read the information in full and follow the guidelines as set out.

Please also circulate this information to any colleagues, friends or family who you think may find themselves in these circumstances.

You can also access the Guide via this link.

Yours in solidarity

Brendan Ogle, Senior Officer – Republic of Ireland

Letter to Patricia King, General Secretary, Irish Congress of Trade Unions

Dear Patricia,

Yesterday as part of the Government’s response to the Covid-19 national emergency the Government asked those employers who have ceased trading if at all possible, to continue to pay workers during this period – at least at the jobseeker rate of €203 per week.

This Department is setting up a refund scheme for employers to pay staff – this will pay them the €203 per week for each worker who would otherwise have been laid-off in a situation where a business has to cease trading due to social distancing measures. This means that workers retain their link with employers and there is no need for them to submit a jobseeker claim.

For those workers whose employers do lay them off without pay, and mindful of social distancing requirements, there is no need to visit an Intreo centre. Intreo centres have to apply social distancing recommendations so queues will be long and people who call may have to wait a long time. The Department is therefore introducing for the self-employed who have lost business and those workers whose employers do lay them off a new support payment, the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment. This has been specifically designed to enable large numbers of people receive a payment as quickly as possible. The payment pays a flat rate €203 per week and is for a period of 6 weeks. Individuals are asked to then submit the normal jobseekers claim form within this 6 week period to receive their full entitlements. Once the normal jobseeker’s claim is subsequently received, the Department will process these claims and reconcile payments at that time.

The new emergency payment has a simple, one page application form and information is available online at https://www.gov.ie/en/service/be74d3-covid-19-pandemic-unemployment-payment/

For your information and convenience I am attaching an information pack for jobseekers. I would appreciate if you could please distribute this application form to any of your members who may be looking for assistance from the Department on foot of the recent public health announcement. People can return their application (the second page in the attached) by Post to PO Box 12896 Dublin 1 or drop it into their local Intreo Centre.

I would appreciate any assistance you can provide, which will assist the Department processing applications and putting them into payment as quickly as possible.