Update on payments awarded for COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment and Enhanced Illness Benefit
- Published on: 5 May 2020
- Last updated on: 11 April 2025
Today, the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection issued payments valued at €209.3 million to 598,000 people in respect of their application for the COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment. Around 11,000 people are receiving a payment for the first time.
There are now over 52,000 employers who have registered with the Revenue Commissioners for the Temporary COVID-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme. The payments are in addition to the approximate 205,000 people who were on the Live Register as of the end of March.
All COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment payments issued will be in recipients’ bank accounts or at their local post office today, Tuesday 5 May.
Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Regina Doherty today said:
“The covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment was introduced at speed for maximum impact so that we could help as many people as possible during what is an unprecedented, once in a century, health emergency. The fact that so many have been moved into payment so quickly is a testimony to the agility and innovation my department has demonstrated to respond to this crisis.
“We need to respond to the post-pandemic challenge with the same qualities and with a similar impact. Already, on Saturday, the government announced a suite of measures to further support small, medium and larger businesses to restart, reconnect and rehire staff who have been laid off or furloughed.
“However, as our recent Working Paper on the initial impacts of the pandemic on our labour market demonstrated, some sectors have suffered more than most – particularly retail and hospitality.
“Working with the new Labour Market Advisory Council I recently appointed, my officials are now planning the necessary further supports and initiatives we will need to put in place to ensure that the thousands of workers who have been displaced can return to work as quickly as possible. We are determined that this short term health crisis will not be a long-term economic one for all those workers and families who have been affected.”
COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment
In total (since launch on the 16 March 2020), and excluding duplicate claims, the department processed applications from 694,000 people for the COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment or a jobseeker’s payment.
As is the case, for all social welfare schemes, the department conducts a series of pre and post payment checks.
For example:
- integrity checks are made against records already held by the department including Public Service Information data and cross checks with payments on other schemes. These help to verify if a person is who they claim to be and that they are entitled to claim payment
- each week when the department processes the COVID-19 pandemic unemployment payments (PUP), a reconciliation takes place between the department’s payment file and Revenue’s payment file for the COVID-19 Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme. This results in claims from those who are being paid by their employer being withheld and therefore not processed by the department’s payment process. These people are then contacted by the department to inform them of the position
- a prior employment status check is made by comparing all claims for PUP against prior earnings and employment records from Revenue data. Where this check indicates that a person may not have been employed, as claimed, the person is contacted and asked to submit corroborating information. Failure to submit corroborating information leads to the claim being closed
- as with other welfare schemes, the department contacts recipients to ensure that they continue to satisfy the eligibility criteria of the COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment
- data analytics is also used to identify claims where a person may not satisfy other conditions – for example residence in Ireland - and department inspection staff check these cases
- the department’s inspection staff also participates with Garda and Customs staff, in security checks on major transport routes and transport hubs
- confidential reporting facilities are available to the public (1890 927999 and at https://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/secure/ReportFraud.aspx ) and to employers (email to: C19EmployerReports@welfare.ie) to report cases of suspected mis-claiming.
Following the application of these checks and controls the department has this week paid 598,000 people out of the 694,000 unique claims processed, the vast majority of these claims were paid within a week of receipt. This indicates the efficiency of using data analytics to both identify incorrect claims and ensure prompt processing of valid claims.
To date, over 73,000 people have contacted the department to close their COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment. Many of these requests are because employers are taking people back onto their payroll under the Temporary COVID-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme.
The department is continuing to resolve any issues, such as invalid IBANs or PPSNs, with legitimate applications and is contacting the people concerned directly over the next few days. We wish to remind people to take care when submitting applications, to ensure that critical information such as dates of birth, PPSN and IBANs are entered correctly. An IBAN has 22 characters and people should take care that it is entered correctly. Any errors by individuals in submitting their incorrect IBAN or PPSN will cause their application to be rejected by the department.
Temporary COVID-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme
There are now over 52,000 employers who have registered with the Revenue Commissioners for the Temporary COVID-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS). Workers whose employers have registered them on the scheme are not eligible to receive a pandemic unemployment payment. In addition workers who were in receipt of the pandemic unemployment payment but who have now been registered by their employers on the TWSS are no longer eligible to receive a payment pandemic unemployment payment.
The department is aware that some workers may be incorrectly registered as part of the TWSS or may face difficulty in transitioning back from the pandemic unemployment payment to the employer payroll. Such a situation may arise, for example, because a worker has been registered in error by their employer, or because an employer having registered for the TWSS has since ceased operating their payroll, or, due to differences in the weekly payment pattern of the pandemic unemployment payment as compared with a monthly or fortnightly payroll from the employer. Any worker affected by these issues can contact the department and arrangements will be made to restore their payment or provide them with interim income support as appropriate.
COVID-19 Enhanced Illness Benefit Payment
There are now 39,100 people medically certified for receipt of the COVID-19 enhanced Illness Benefit. This predominantly relates to applications in respect of people who have been advised by their GP to self-isolate together with a smaller number in respect of people who have been diagnosed with COVID-19.
Please apply online at www.MyWelfare.ie.
The department wishes to thank its customers for submitting the majority of applications through our online portal www.MyWelfare.ie. This is the quickest and easiest way to submit an application and enables the department to allocate resources to contacting those who submitted invalid applications.
Individuals can close their COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment online at www.MyWelfare.ie.
In the interests of the public health advice and the restrictions on movements please if at all possible do not attend your local Intreo Centre as opening hours have now been restricted. Instead please apply through www.MyWelfare.ie.
County and Sectoral breakdowns
Details on county breakdown and sectoral breakdown are in listed in the attached Appendix.
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Notes to the Editor:
COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment
The COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment is an emergency payment for employees and the self-employed who have lost their income and are fully unemployed due to the pandemic. It is paid at a rate of €350 per week into a customer’s bank account. The quickest and easiest way for everyone to apply for this emergency payment is online at www.MyWelfare.ie.
Jobseeker’s Payments
Those individuals who have an adult dependant and at least one child, or if they are single and have four or more children, after applying for the emergency payment should also apply for a Jobseeker’s payment to receive their full social welfare entitlements. The quickest and easiest way for everyone to apply for a Jobseeker’s payment is online at www.MyWelfare.ie.
Enhanced Illness Benefit for COVID-19 Cases
The government introduced an enhanced Illness Benefit payment for all cases where individuals have been medically certified to self-isolate or have been diagnosed with COVID-19. It is paid at a rate of €350 per week. Please note that it is not possible to be paid a COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment and the enhanced Illness Benefit payment concurrently. If you have lost your employment or are diagnosed with COVID-19 and you apply for income support you will be paid €350 per week from the department.
The quickest and easiest way for everyone to apply for this emergency payment is online at www.MyWelfare.ie.
Appendix
Analysis of Pandemic Unemployment Payments
There are 598,000 people in receipt a Pandemic Unemployment Payment on 5 May 2020, of which 256,200 are female and 341,800 are male.
County Breakdown
| County | Number of people in receipt of Pandemic Unemployment Payment on 5 May | Number of people in receipt of Pandemic Unemployment Payment on 28 April | |
| Carlow | 7,800 | 7,800 | |
| Cavan | 9,700 | 9,600 | |
| Clare | 14,600 | 14,500 | |
| Cork | 61,900 | 61,200 | |
| Donegal | 22,700 | 22,500 | |
| Dublin | 174,200 | 171,700 | |
| Galway | 32,300 | 32,000 | |
| Kerry | 22,200 | 21,900 | |
| Kildare | 26,100 | 25,700 | |
| Kilkenny | 10,600 | 10,500 | |
| Laois | 8,600 | 8,600 | |
| Leitrim | 4,100 | 4,100 | |
| Limerick | 22,300 | 22,100 | |
| Longford | 4,500 | 4,400 | |
| Louth | 17,300 | 17,100 | |
| Mayo | 16,400 | 16,300 | |
| Meath | 25,000 | 24,600 | |
| Monaghan | 8,200 | 8,000 | |
| Offaly | 8,900 | 8,800 | |
| Roscommon | 7,100 | 7,000 | |
| Sligo | 7,700 | 7,600 | |
| Tipperary | 18,800 | 18,500 | |
| Waterford | 14,100 | 13,900 | |
| Westmeath | 11,700 | 11,600 | |
| Wexford | 20,500 | 20,200 | |
| Wicklow | 18,700 | 18,300 | |
| County not included | 2,000 | 2,500 | |
| Total | 598,000 | 591,000 |
Sector Breakdown
The highest sector with people in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment is Accommodation and Food Service activities (128,500), followed by Wholesale and Retail Trade (90,300) and Construction (79,300).
| Industrial Sector | Number of people in receipt of Pandemic Unemployment Payment on 5 May | Number of people in receipt of Pandemic Unemployment Payment on 28 April | |
| Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing; Mining and Quarrying | 8,600 | 8,400 | |
| Manufacturing | 37,400 | 36,900 | |
| Electricity, gas supply; Water supply, sewerage and waste management | 2,100 | 2,000 | |
| Construction | 79,300 | 78,500 | |
| Wholesale and Retail Trade; Repair of Motor Vehicles and motorcycles | 90,300 | 89,300 | |
| Transportation and storage | 17,900 | 17,800 | |
| Accommodation and food service activities | 128,500 | 127,000 | |
| Information and communication activities | 11,800 | 11,300 | |
| Financial and insurance activities | 12,500 | 12,300 | |
| Real Estate activities | 8,100 | 8,000 | |
| Professional, Scientific and Technical activities | 24,800 | 24,500 | |
| Administrative and support service activities | 45,800 | 45,400 | |
| Public Administration And Defence; Compulsory Social Security | 14,400 | 14,200 | |
| Education | 22,000 | 21,900 | |
| Human Health And Social Work activities | 22,500 | 22,200 | |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 14,200 | 14,000 | |
| Other Sectors | 39,200 | 38,900 | |
| Unclassified or unknown | 18,600 | 18,400 | |
| Total | 598,000 | 591,000 |
Age Breakdown
| Age category | Number of people in receipt of Pandemic Unemployment Payment on 5 May | Number of people in receipt of Pandemic Unemployment Payment on 28 April | |
| Under 25 | 122,500 | 120,800 | |
| 25-34 | 137,700 | 136,700 | |
| 35-44 | 144,100 | 142,600 | |
| 45-54 | 113,100 | 111,700 | |
| 55+ | 80,600 | 79,200 | |
| Total | 598,000 | 591,000 |
Analysis of COVID-19 Enhanced Illness Benefit
There are 39,100 people medically certified for receipt of a COVID-19 related Illness Benefit payment as of 1 May 2020, of which 22,100 are female and 17,000 are male.
County Breakdown – Enhanced Illness Benefit
| County | Number of people medically certified for receipt of Enhanced Illness Benefit on 5 May | Number of people medically certified for receipt of Enhanced Illness Benefit on 28 April | |
| Carlow | 500 | 500 | |
| Cavan | 1,000 | 900 | |
| Clare | 800 | 700 | |
| Cork | 4,500 | 4,300 | |
| Donegal | 900 | 900 | |
| Dublin | 11,000 | 10,200 | |
| Galway | 2,500 | 2,300 | |
| Kerry | 900 | 800 | |
| Kildare | 1,800 | 1,600 | |
| Kilkenny | 800 | 800 | |
| Laois | 700 | 700 | |
| Leitrim | 150 | 100 | |
| Limerick | 1,400 | 1,300 | |
| Longford | 300 | 200 | |
| Louth | 1,200 | 1,100 | |
| Mayo | 900 | 800 | |
| Meath | 1,500 | 1,400 | |
| Monaghan | 550 | 500 | |
| Offaly | 700 | 600 | |
| Roscommon | 600 | 500 | |
| Sligo | 300 | 300 | |
| Tipperary | 1,300 | 1,200 | |
| Waterford | 1,300 | 1,200 | |
| Westmeath | 700 | 600 | |
| Wexford | 1,300 | 1,300 | |
| Wicklow | 1,300 | 1,200 | |
| Other (NI & Foreign Address) | 200 | 100 | |
| Total | 39,100 | 36,100 |
Sector Breakdown – Enhanced Illness Benefit
| Industrial Sector | Number of people medically certified to receive Enhanced Illness Benefit on 5 May | Number of people medically certified to receive Enhanced Illness Benefit on 28 April | |
| Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing; Mining and Quarrying | 400 | 400 | |
| Manufacturing | 5,100 | 4,700 | |
| Electricity, gas, steam supply; Water supply; Sewerage, waste management | 200 | 200 | |
| Construction | 1,700 | 1,600 | |
| Wholesale and Retail Trade; Repair of Motor Vehicles and motorcycles | 8,400 | 7,800 | |
| Transportation and storage | 1,600 | 1,400 | |
| Accommodation and food service activities | 1,600 | 1,500 | |
| Information and communication activities | 700 | 700 | |
| Financial and insurance activities | 1,700 | 1,600 | |
| Real Estate activities | 300 | 300 | |
| Professional, Scientific and Technical activities | 1,300 | 1,300 | |
| Administrative and support service activities | 3,900 | 3,600 | |
| Public Administration And Defence; Compulsory Social Security | 1,700 | 1,600 | |
| Education | 600 | 600 | |
| Human Health And Social Work activities | 8,300 | 7,500 | |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 200 | 200 | |
| Other Sectors | 1,200 | 1,000 | |
| Unclassified or unknown | 200 | 100 | |
| Total | 39,100 | 36,100 |
Age Breakdown – Enhanced Illness Benefit
| Age category | Number of people medically certified to receive Enhanced Illness Benefit on 5 May | Number of people medically certified to receive Enhanced Illness Benefit on 28 April | |
| < 25 | 4,400 | 4,200 | |
| 25-34 | 9,300 | 8,500 | |
| 35-44 | 11,100 | 10,200 | |
| 45-54 | 8,400 | 7,700 | |
| 55+ | 5,900 | 5,500 | |
| Total | 39,100 | 36,100 |