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• Just under 163,400 people receive the Pandemic Unemployment Payment this week, a decrease of almost 29,000 on last week 

• Numbers on PUP now at the lowest level since the pandemic started

• €48.4 million in PUP weekly payments paid into bank accounts this week

• Overall bill for PUP now stands at over €8.3 billion
• Range of employment supports available for PUP recipients as part of Pathways to Work strategy, available via www.gov.ie/pathways

• As restrictions are eased, people returning to work should close their claim on their first day back in work
• 2,024 people receiving Enhanced Illness Benefit
• Public reminded about Scam Phone Calls and Scam Texts from callers claiming to be from the Department of Social Protection

Tuesday, 3rd August 2021

This week, the Department of Social Protection issued weekly payments valued at €48.4 million to 163,327 people in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP). 

The PUP figures published this week are in addition to the 175,281 people who were on the Live Register at the end of June. 

All Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payments have been paid into recipients’ bank accounts or at their Post Office today, Tuesday, 3rd August.

Commenting on this week’s figures, Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys said:

“With the return of indoor hospitality, it is great to see more businesses now re-opened as we move into the busiest weeks of the summer holiday season.

“The number of people in receipt of the PUP is now at the lowest level since the pandemic began and every week we are seeing more and more people getting back to work.

“It is also very encouraging to see many businesses actively advertising for and hiring new staff. As new jobs are created, I and my Government colleagues want to ensure that people who are currently unemployed have the training, skills and the confidence to take on these new roles.”

Minister Humphreys added:

“Past experience has shown us that when the economy begins to recover, it doesn’t always move at the same pace for everybody.  And, of course, the longer a person remains unemployed the more difficult it can be to find a job.

“Everybody deserves the opportunity to work and everybody deserves the support of the State and its services in finding that work. This is what Pathways to Work is about – helping people to find a job and to keep it.

“Delivering on the commitments in the Pathways to Work strategy will be crucial to our overall economic recovery.  The core purpose of this strategy is to help those whose employment has been impacted by the Covid-19 virus along with the people who had lost their jobs before the pandemic, to prepare for and secure employment.

“I and my colleagues in Government will do all that we can to help people into work in sectors that will drive our recovery and secure long-term sustainable growth.”

The county with the highest number of people receiving PUP is Dublin which stands at 60,730. It is followed by Cork (14,629) and Galway (8,740).

The sector with the highest number of people in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment is Accommodation and Food Service Activities (37,723) followed by Wholesale and Retail Trade (25,368) and Administrative and support service activities (18,350).

The payment week for the Pandemic Unemployment Payment runs from Friday to Thursday and payments are paid on the following Tuesday. Individuals who have closed their PUP by Monday 2nd August, as they have returned to work, will receive their final PUP payment on Tuesday 10th August.

Some 46% of those in receipt of PUP are receiving the maximum rate of €350 this week.

People returning to work

The Department continues to remind workers who are returning to work that they must close their claim for the Pandemic Unemployment Payment on the actual date that they start back at work, in order to ensure that their claim is processed correctly and to avoid incurring an overpayment that the Department will take steps to recover.

As PUP is paid weekly in arrears people who have closed their claim last week  are receiving a final payment this week and are still counted in the numbers in payment for this week. 

The top three sectors from which employees closed their Pandemic Unemployment Payment to return to work are Accommodation and Food Service activities, Wholesale and Retail Trade and Construction

The easiest way to close a claim for the Pandemic Unemployment Payment is online via www.MyWelfare.ie.  Any worker returning to work with an enquiry about closing their claim can contact the Department’s dedicated Income Support Helpline at 1890 800 024 between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday.

Control Measures

The Department conducts a series of pre and post payment checks on all PUP claims which include continuing eligibility checks. Subject to these checks being cleared the Department then processes payments based on the clients’ self-declaration.

The Department runs post payment checks that includes verifying data against Revenue records, examining cases where the same Bank account is used multiple times, examining cases where an employer or members of the public report concerns, and the use of data analytics to identify and check claims. It also undertakes employer inspections.

This work is undertaken by the Department’s Special Investigation Unit, which includes over 20 Gardaí on secondment to the Department. 

As business re-opens the Department’s inspectors continue to conduct control reviews and matching records against employer payroll data from the Revenue Commissioners to help ensure people close their claim as they return to work. To avoid incurring an overpayment people returning to work should close their claim and can do so easily at www.MyWelfare.ie.

Self-employed people and PUP

Self-employed people in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment who are looking to maintain their business can earn up to €960 over an eight-week period, while retaining their full PUP entitlement.

There is no formal application process and a self-employed person simply needs to inform the Department if they earn over €960 in any eight-week period.

The €1,000 Enterprise Support Grant will remain in place for the rest of the year for self-employed people who close their PUP payment. Those who claimed the grant in 2020 but who found themselves back on PUP in 2021, will be able to access the grant for a second time.

MyWelfare.ie – PPSN application service

The easiest and quickest way to apply for many social welfare payments, including the Pandemic Unemployment Payment, Enhanced Illness Benefit and Jobseekers’ payments is online at www.MyWelfare.ie. This is a platform which is safe, secure and accessible anytime, anywhere and on all devices. People have the option of applying for Maternity Benefit, Paternity Benefit, Child Benefit, PRSI refunds and Jobseekers’ payments as well as requesting a statement or a record of social insurance contributions from the Department.

The application service to apply for a PPS Number is available at www.MyWelfare.ie for people living in Ireland who are at least 18 years of age and need a PPS Number to avail of social welfare benefits, public services and information in Ireland. To apply for a PPS Number online, a person will need to have a basic MyGovID account.

In the interests of the public health advice and observing social distancing people are asked, if possible, not to attend their local Intreo Centre. Instead, they should avail of the online services available through www.MyWelfare.ie.

Covid-19 Enhanced Illness Benefit Payment

Employees or self-employed people who contract the virus or who are medically certified by their doctor to self-isolate are advised to apply for Enhanced Illness Benefit. Unlike the standard Illness Benefit, the Enhanced Illness Benefit is paid from the first day of illness. The quickest and easiest way to apply for Enhanced Illness Benefit is through www.MyWelfare.ie.

Today, some 2,024 people are in receipt of an Enhanced Illness Benefit payment, compared with 1,642 last week.

Full details on Enhanced Illness Benefit including sector and county breakdown as well as age profile are at Appendices 7, 8 and 9.

Scam Phone Calls and Scam Texts

Customers and members of the public are reminded about scam phone calls and text messages they may receive from individuals claiming to be an official of the Department. 

These calls and texts display a range of numbers, including some which may appear to be from the Department’s phone numbers. The Department would like to remind all its customers that it will never seek personal information from customers via text message and will never ask a customer for their bank details over the phone.

Any person who receives such a call or text is asked not to disclose any information and to report it to the Gardaí immediately.

ENDS

Press Office Contact Details

E: press.office@welfare.ie

T: 01 704 3082

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Appendices

Appendix 1 -    Analysis of Pandemic Unemployment Payments by County

Appendix 2 -    Pandemic Unemployment Payments by Sector

Appendix 3 -    Pandemic Unemployment Payments by Age Profile

Appendix 4 -    Pandemic Unemployment Payment Rates by gender

Appendix 5 -    Pandemic Unemployment Payment Rates by age

Appendix 6 -    Changes in Pandemic Unemployment Payment Numbers by Sector

Appendix 7 -     Enhanced Illness Benefit Payments by County

Appendix 8 -     Enhanced Illness Benefit Payments by Sector

Appendix 9 -    Enhanced Illness Benefit Payments Age Profile

Appendix 1 -Analysis of Pandemic Unemployment Payments

There are 163,327 people in receipt a Pandemic Unemployment Payment of which 76,874 are female and 86,453 are male.

County Breakdown

Appendix 2 – Pandemic Unemployment Payments - Sector Breakdown

The sector with the highest number of people in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment is Accommodation and Food Service Activities (37,723) followed by Wholesale and Retail Trade (25,368) and Administrative and support service activities (18,350).

Appendix 3 – Pandemic Unemployment Payment - Age Profile

Appendix 4 – Pandemic Unemployment Payment Rates breakdown by gender

Appendix 5 – Pandemic Unemployment Payment Rates breakdown by age

Appendix 6 – Changes in Number of People Receiving the Pandemic Unemployment Payment by Sector

Appendix 7 - Analysis of Covid-19 Enhanced Illness Benefit

To date, 161,926 people have been medically certified for receipt of a Covid-19 related Illness Benefit payment, of whom 86,687 are female and 75,239 are male.

Some 2,024 people are currently in receipt of an Enhanced Illness Benefit payment.

County Breakdown (based on the county recorded on the Illness Benefit certificate)

Appendix 8 – Covid-19 Enhanced Illness Benefit - Sector Breakdown

The two sectors with the highest number of people who have been medically certified for receipt of a Covid-19 Illness Benefit payment to date are Wholesale and Retail Trade (34,865) and Human Health and Social Work (28,197), followed by Manufacturing (21,887).

Appendix 9 – Enhanced Illness Benefit - Age Profile