COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Information for Employers and Employees

On 09 March the Government announced a package of measures with the main objective being to limit and slow down the spread of COVID-19, to keep the number of affected people to a minimum and to reduce peak pressure on the health service. The main actions’ agreed by the Government in response to the global and national public health emergency arising from COVID-19 are outlined in the Governments press release (Click here).

The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection (DEASP) also published a notice today for the information of employers and employees explaining measures of how income support will be provided to people affected by COVID-19 (Coronavirus).

Three major changes have been announced:

• The current 6-day waiting period for Illness Benefit will not apply to anyone who has COVID-19 (Coronavirus) or is in medically-required self-isolation

• the personal rate of Illness Benefit will increase from €203 per week to €305 per week for a maximum of 2 weeks medically-required self-isolation or for the full duration of absence from work following a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 (Coronavirus)

• The normal social insurance requirements for Illness Benefit will be changed or the means test for Supplementary Welfare Allowance will be removed

This Information for Employers and Employees is available on the Department’s website (Click here) and contains information on:

• Who the enhanced arrangements are intended to serve
• Workers who are diagnosed with COVID-19
• Workers who are not diagnosed with COVID-19 but are required to self-isolate
• Workers whose employers do not supplement/top-up the state illness Benefit payment
• Availability of the enhanced payment
• Workers who are requested to stay at home by their Employer
• Workers who are laid off temporarily or put on to short time working
• Workers who need to take-time off work to care for a person affected by COVID-19
• People already in receipt of Social Welfare Payments
• How to apply for illness benefit for COVID-19 absences