The Government has said it will no longer cut people’s Pandemic Unemployment Payment if they travel to countries on the ‘green-list.’
It comes after days of controversy over the use of State payments to prevent people from travelling abroad.
It emerged that thousands of people have had their Pandemic Unemployment Payment cut off after they were stopped and checked on their way out of Dublin Airport in recent weeks
The policy caused anger and confusion among recipients of the payments and was labelled “blatantly discriminatory” by the opposition.
NEW: Government u-turn. There will be a change of the rules so anyone who travels to greenlist countries won't have their pandemic unemployment payment stopped.
— Seán Defoe (@SeanDefoe) July 29, 2020
Speaking in the Dáil this afternoon, the Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys said the policy would be changed – but only for countries on the green list.
“I have now asked my officials to amend the regulations so that people on Jobseekers who wish to travel to any of the countries on the green list can do so and continue to receive their payment,” she said.
“For countries not on the green list, persons can travel for essential reasons only.”
Jobseekers
Under social welfare legislation, Jobseekers have generally been permitted two weeks holidays per year, provided they inform their local authority of where they are going.
The qualifying criteria for the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) has never made any mention of international travel; however, PUP guidance was updated on Monday to include a stipulation that only people who are “genuinely seeking work” can apply.
Officials have been able to claim recipients of both payments are not available for work if they travel abroad because they may find themselves force to self-isolate.
The airport checks have been taking place since July 7th.
Pandemic Unemployment Payment
In a statement, Minister Humphreys said she has “listened to the concerns” of people who saw their payments stopped because they were going on holiday.
“I know that there are cases where people may have travelled abroad and genuinely not been aware of the travel guidance or criteria which applied to PUP and I accept that my Department could have communicated more effectively on this issue,” she said.
“For that reason, I have directed my Department to review all cases to date where people who went on holiday and had their payment stopped.”
She said she asked her officials to change the regulations to allow people to travel to green list countries and continue to receive their payment.
People can travel outside the green list if they inform their local Intreo office of their essential reason for doing so.
"Blatant discrimination"
On Lunchtime Live on Monday, RISE TD Paul Murphy said it was “blatant discrimination” to target people on welfare payments, while the rest of the population are free to do as they wish.
On Newstalk Breakfast this morning, People Before Profit TD Bríd Smith said the policy was undermining the spirit that carried the country through the opening months of the COVID-19 crisis.
