Budget Perspectives webinar: COVID-19 and the welfare system

On Monday 21st June 2021, ESRI researchers Karina Doorley, Claire Keane and Dora Tuda will present the paper 'COVID-19 and the welfare system', ESRI Director Alan Barrett will chair the event and Minister of Justice (Temporary), Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands Heather Humphreys T.D. will launch the publication. There will be a Q&A segment after the presentation and the event will be recorded and made available on the ESRI YouTube channel afterwards.

COVID-19 had a significant negative effect on incomes in Ireland due to widespread job losses as the measures put in place to slow the spread of the disease resulted in severe economic restrictions. Despite the existence of unemployment supports, significant additional income supports were introduced to protect incomes. As we face the withdrawal of such supports as public health restrictions lift and the economy recovers, we examine these supports and the role they played in supporting incomes. By profiling those who benefitted the most from the new schemes, we highlight the groups most at risk of significant income losses as they wind down. We consider what gaps in the social welfare system necessitated the introduction of such schemes in the first place along with potential future policy changes to ensure the social welfare system can provide adequate income protection and financial incentives to work as we emerge from the COVID-19 crisis.

This is the second of two webinars in our Budget Perspectives 2022 series which discusses policy issues related to the upcoming Budget. Watch a recording of the first event, 'Options for raising tax revenue in Ireland', here: https://www.esri.ie/events/webinar-options-for-raising-tax-revenue-in-i…;