As was expected, due to the large number of job losses and lay-offs caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the INOU’s Welfare to Work section saw a significant increase in the number of queries coming into our information service in the past 5 weeks.
The bulk of these initial queries mainly related to requests for information on, and assistance with, accessing unemployment payments, in particular the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP), information on Redundancy and temporary layoff, the Temporary COVID-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme (Revenue), Working Family Payment (WFP) and Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) payments, including basic SWA and Exceptional Needs and Urgent Needs SWA payments.
This demand was coupled with further additional requests for information and assistance by existing DEASP clients on a range of welfare payments including standard Jobseekers payments, Disability Allowance, One Parent Family payments and ongoing Supplementary Welfare Allowance payments.
The developing and ongoing response of the government, and the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection (DEASP), in providing information, services and supports to existing clients and significant numbers of new clients resulted in a changing landscape and provided a challenging and demanding environment, placing significant demands on resources of the section and in particular on our information officers.
With the INOU offices closed, as per instructions issued by the government, we have been very fortunate in that our dedicated team of information officers, supported by the reception, administration and IT support teams, have had the capacity and technology to work from home providing direct Welfare Rights Information Services to our clients by telephone and by e-mail.
Our service remains fully operational by telephone and by e-mail, and compliant with our obligations and undertakings in accordance with our standard operational procedures.
We would encourage all of our individual members and affiliate organisations to utilise our information services through our website, e-mail contact forms and by telephone in support of their individual needs and in support of their clients and communities.
Current Welfare Rights Queries
