Employers are being asked to keep paying staff during the Covid-19 outbreak, even if they can only match the dole rate of €203 per week.
The Department of Social Protection is setting up a temporary refund scheme for those companies that have to stop trading.
They will reimburse employers up to €203 a week for each staff member, but the refunds will take time to process.
Minister for Social Protection Regina Doherty explained that banks will provide working capital finance in the form of overdrafts or short-term loans to cover costs for firms.
All workers, including the self-employed, will also be eligible for a new Pandemic Unemployment Payment equal to the Jobseekers Allowance rate.
Minister Doherty said: “Ireland has entered uncharted territory as a consequence of the spread of Covid-19. This is now both a public health and economic issue.
“In light of the significant volumes of jobseeker applications expected this week, the Department will from tomorrow be introducing a new Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment specifically designed to get thousands of people into payment as quickly as possible.”
"The new payment that has been put in place 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."
- There is no need for people to attend their local Intreo Centre but they can apply in the following ways:
- 1) An application form for the new Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment can be downloaded from our website www.gov.ie/jobseekers and returned to us to PO BOX 12896 Dublin 1;
- 2) You can apply for another income support from us is through our online portal www.MyWelfare.ie, (you will need a Public Services Card); or
- 3) Phone us on 1890 800 024 or 01 2481398 and we will send you the relevant application form for the new payment.
Minister Doherty added: “I want to reassure our clients that the Department will process all applications for income support as soon as possible.
"The new payment will speed this process up and ensure that our customers receive a payment from the Department in as short a time as possible.
"Payments will issue based on date of application, not date of processing, meaning that all payments will be back dated. We would ask customers to please keep checking your Bank Account as payment may issue in advance of us formally notifying you.”
