Increase in Covid PUP paid out nationally

This week’s figures are in addition to the 211,492 people who were reported on the Live Register as of the end of September.

The Department of Social Protection has issued payments valued at €95.5m, up from €85.6 million last week, to 329,991 people in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP).

The number of people receiving a PUP payment this week represents an increase of 34,131 on the 295,860 people paid last week.

The sector with the highest number of people receiving a PUP payment this week is Accommodation and Food Service Activities (98,233).

This is followed by Wholesale and Retail Trade (51,921) and Other Sectors, e.g., hairdressers and beauty salons (28,799).

This week’s figures are in addition to the 211,492 people who were reported on the Live Register as of the end of September.

Commenting on this week’s figures, Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys said: “The increase in the number of people in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) was expected as a result of the move to Level 5 of restrictions.

“Supporting workers who have lost their job as a result of this pandemic remains my top priority. My Department has processed and put into payment over 125,000 new applications for PUP in recent weeks.”

She also acknowledged the co-operation of the people claiming the PUP payment online.

By applying online at www.MyWelfare.ie, she said it makes the PUP application process much easier and results in the applications going into payment “much faster.”

“The fall in the number of cases of Covid-19 in recent days is encouraging. This is a credit to the Irish people and the sacrifices they are making in responding to the public health advice.”

Earlier this week Minister Humphreys brought a memorandum to Cabinet which extends the 2020 earnings reference period for employees to September 2020.

This will mean that people who only commenced employment after February 2020 but have now been laid-off due to increased restrictions can have their payment rate fixed by reference to their earnings in the period March to September 2020.

The regulations will also provide that people who may have been in employment before February 2020 but whose earnings have reduced in the period since February can still have their PUP payment rate set by reference to their earlier, higher, earnings.

Self-employed people can also continue to earn up to €480 (net) per month while in receipt of PUP, take up the Part-Time Job Incentive Scheme or avail of standard jobseeker payments.

In the past week, some 4,200 people closed their PUP, 2,460 of whom stated that they were doing so because they are returning to work.

The largest cohort of people who closed their claims to return to work is in the 25-35 age group (649), followed by those aged 35-55 (603).