Update on payments awarded for COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment and Enhanced Illness Benefit
- Published on: 31 August 2020
- Last updated on: 11 April 2025
225,000 people receive Pandemic Unemployment Payment this week
€70.2 million to be paid in PUP payments tomorrow
Over €3.3 billion paid on PUP to date
Today the Department of Social Protection issued payments valued at €70.2 million to 225,000 people for the COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP). This represents a decrease of 5,400 on the 230,400 people paid last week and it is a drop of over 62% on the 598,000 paid at its peak on 5 May.
The total amount paid through the Pandemic Unemployment Payment, including this week’s payment, now stands at over €3.3 billion.
In the past seven days, 8,100 people have closed their claim for the Pandemic Unemployment Payment. Some 4,700 will be receiving their final payment tomorrow, 1 September.
The top sectors in which employees are returning to work this week are Accommodation and Food Services; Education; Wholesale and Retail Trade, Repair of Motor Vehicles and motorcycles; Administrative and Support Service activities; and Human Health and Social Work Activities.
The two largest cohorts returning to work is in the 25-34 and 35-44 age groups with 1,400 returning in each.
Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys TD, commented:
“The increasing numbers of people contracting COVID-19 starkly remind us that this virus is still with us and we must continue to make every effort to suppress it. Taking this week’s payment into account, the government has paid over €3.3 billion through the Pandemic Unemployment Payment over the past six months. This equates to almost twice the expenditure on Jobseeker’s Allowance in all of 2019.
“I want to thank employers and workers in every sector for their solidarity and the efforts they continue to make to suppress the virus and help rebuild our economy. It continues to be an extremely difficult and challenging time for everyone. We can see from this week’s figures that more people are signalling that they are returning to work. I want to see this trend continue in the coming months. People can play their part by continuing to adhere to public health guidelines including observing the need to social distance, so that we can move forward on the road to recovery.”
The easiest way for people to apply for the Pandemic Unemployment Payment is online at www.MyWelfare.ie. When applying, people should provide the name of their employer and details of their last day of employment.
As well as those availing of the COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment, there are now over 69,500 employers who have registered with the Revenue Commissioners for the Temporary COVID-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS). An estimated 365,000 employees are currently being supported by the scheme having received a subsidy in their most recent pay period.
The above payments are in addition to the 244,600 people who were reported on the Live Register as of the end of July. All COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payments issued will be in recipients’ bank accounts or at their local post office tomorrow, Tuesday 1 September.
Changes to PUP Payment Rates
As was announced last month as part of the July Jobs Stimulus package the Pandemic Unemployment Payment is continuing until April 2021 but the payment rates will change on 17 September 2020, 1 February 2021 and 1 April 2021.
PUP Rate Changes from 17 September 2020
From 17 September 2020 the Pandemic Unemployment Payment will move from 2 rates of payment to 3 rates.
The rate a recipient will receive will depend on the amount they previously earned:
- if they earned over €300 per week - they will now receive €300 per week
- if they earned between €200 and €300 per week - the rate of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment will now be €250 per week
- if they earned less than €200 per week - the rate of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment will be €203 per week (there is no change to this rate)
Recipients of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment will see the impact of these changes in their bank accounts on Tuesday 22 September.
Individuals do not need to contact the department about their earnings. The department has access to this information from the Revenue Commissioners and will be contacting PUP recipients in advance of these changes informing them of their new rate of payment.
People returning to work
In the past week, some 8,100 people closed their claim for the Pandemic Unemployment Payment of which 6,300 reported that they were returning to work. Of those 6,300 returning to work, some 4,700 are receiving their last payment this week. As the Pandemic Unemployment Payment is a weekly payment paid in arrears, there can be a one week lag in how closures, due to people returning to work, are reflected in the payment data. The reduction in the number of people in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment will, therefore, be reflected in next week’s figures.
The top sectors in which employees are returning to work this week are Accommodation and Food Services (1,000); Education (950); Wholesale and Retail Trade, Repair of Motor Vehicles and motorcycles (700), followed by Administrative and Support Service activities and Human Health and Social Work activities each having 500 employees returning to work. A full breakdown of the sectors in this area is set out at Appendix 7 below.
The age profile of employees returning to work this week shows that the two largest cohorts are those in the 25-34 and 35-44 age group (1,400 each), followed by 1,300 in the 45-54 age group and 1,200 in the under 25 age group also returning. Full details are available at Appendix 8.
The number of Pandemic Unemployment Payment recipients who closed their claim since the start of Phase 1 (18th May) and who are currently availing of the Temporary COVID-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS) is 93,300 compared with 92,300 this time last week, the biggest increase being in the Accommodation and Food Services sector.
The department continues to remind workers who are returning to work that they must close their claim for the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP).
In order to ensure that their claim is processed correctly, workers who are returning to work must close their claim for the PUP payment on the actual date that they start back at work. Since the commencement of Phase One of the government’s Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business, some 306,600 employees have closed their claims and returned to work.
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 (Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm).
Industries that remain closed
Where, due to ongoing restrictions, a person’s employer has not restarted operations or where a sector is still temporarily closed, the department will continue to support the workers concerned through payment of the PUP.
Back to Education Allowance Option for people receiving PUP
The Back to Education Allowance scheme is an education support for people aged 21 and over who are unemployed. It is also available to those parenting alone or who have a disability and are getting certain payments from the Department of Social Protection. They have the option of commencing a full-time second or third-level education course and continue to receive a weekly income support.
Ordinarily a person must be in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment for at least nine months before being eligible to apply for the Back to Education Allowance.
The nine month requirement is being waived for PUP recipients who wish to apply for Back to Education Allowance.
If a person currently in receipt of PUP wants to apply for Back to Education Allowance, they can now choose to transfer to a Jobseeker’s payment. Their rate of Back to Education Allowance payment will be linked to their qualifying social welfare rate of payment. For example, if they are eligible for weekly Jobseeker’s Allowance payable at €203, they will be paid the Back to Education Allowance at this rate. Whereas the Pandemic Unemployment Payment is short term in nature and scheduled to cease in April 2021, the Back to Education Allowance provides long term income support which can be provided for the duration of an education course and which can extend for up to 3 or 4 years depending on the individuals circumstances.
There is also an annual Cost of Education Allowance of €500 available to participants of the Back to Education Allowance scheme who have one or more dependent children.
This year, in recognition of the difficulties faced by education providers for the upcoming academic year and to ease any stress for the participants, the scheme will include support for blended learning and distance learning opportunities which are not generally supported through the Back to Education Allowance. This particular measure will be reviewed at the end of the next academic year.
Full information on the Back to Education Allowance along with the application form is available on the department’s website here.
COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment Checks
As is the case for all social welfare schemes and as part of the department’s normal work, the department conducts a series of pre and post payment checks for the COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment, including:
- integrity checks 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
- a reconciliation process between the department’s payment file and Revenue’s payment file for the Temporary COVID-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme
- a prior employment status check by comparing all claims for PUP against prior earnings and employment records from Revenue data
- 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
COVID-19 Enhanced Illness Benefit Payment
Since the beginning of August, 267 people have been medically certified with having COVID-19 while 2,683 others have been medically certified because they are medically self-isolating.
To date 57,350 people under age 66 have been medically certified for receipt of the COVID-19 Enhanced Illness Benefit. Over 7.5% (4,336) have been diagnosed with COVID-19 while almost 93% (53,014) were required to medically self-isolate.
There are 1,184 people currently receiving a COVID-19 related Enhanced Illness Benefit payment.
The sector with the highest number of employees medically certified to receive COVID-19 Illness Benefit continues to be the Human Health and Social Work sector (12,300) followed by Wholesale and Retail Trade (12,200) and Manufacturing (8,000). Full details are at Appendices 11, 12 and 13.
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 or close a COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment.
In the interests of the public health advice and observing social distancing people are asked, if at all possible not to attend their local Intreo Centre. Instead, they should avail of the online services available through www.MyWelfare.ie.
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 - Analysis of People who Closed their PUP Claim to Return to Work
- Appendix 7 - Analysis of Closed Pandemic Unemployment Payments by Sector
- Appendix 8 - Analysis of Closed Pandemic Unemployment Payments Age Profile
- Appendix 9 - Analysis of Pandemic Unemployment Payments recipients who closed their claim since start of Phase 1 and who are currently receiving the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme Sector breakdown
- Appendix 10 – Age Profile of people who closed their Pandemic Unemployment Payment to return to work since 18th May and receiving Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme
- Appendix 11 - Enhanced Illness Benefit Payments by County
- Appendix 12 - Enhanced Illness Benefit Payments by Sector
- Appendix 13 - Enhanced Illness Benefit Payments Age Profile
Appendix 1 - Analysis of Pandemic Unemployment Payments
There are 225,000 people in receipt a Pandemic Unemployment Payment of which 107,400 are female and 117,600 are male.
County Breakdown
| County | Number of people in receipt of a Pandemic Unemployment Payment on 1 September | Number of people in receipt of a Pandemic Unemployment Payment on 25 August | Number of people in receipt of Pandemic Unemployment Payment on 5 May | |
| Carlow | 2,500 | 2,600 | 7,800 | |
| Cavan | 3,000 | 3,100 | 9,700 | |
| Clare | 4,900 | 5,000 | 14,600 | |
| Cork | 21,100 | 21,700 | 61,900 | |
| Donegal | 6,700 | 7,000 | 22,700 | |
| Dublin | 78,800 | 80,100 | 174,200 | |
| Galway | 11,800 | 12,100 | 32,300 | |
| Kerry | 6,900 | 7,100 | 22,200 | |
| Kildare | 11,300 | 11,400 | 26,100 | |
| Kilkenny | 3,300 | 3,500 | 10,600 | |
| Laois | 3,400 | 3,400 | 8,600 | |
| Leitrim | 1,300 | 1,400 | 4,100 | |
| Limerick | 8,600 | 8,900 | 22,300 | |
| Longford | 1,500 | 1,600 | 4,500 | |
| Louth | 6,700 | 6,900 | 17,300 | |
| Mayo | 5,200 | 5,400 | 16,400 | |
| Meath | 9,000 | 9,200 | 25,000 | |
| Monaghan | 2,800 | 2,800 | 8,200 | |
| Offaly | 3,300 | 3,400 | 8,900 | |
| Roscommon | 2,300 | 2,400 | 7,100 | |
| Sligo | 2,600 | 2,700 | 7,700 | |
| Tipperary | 6,500 | 6,700 | 18,800 | |
| Waterford | 4,700 | 4,800 | 14,100 | |
| Westmeath | 3,900 | 4,000 | 11,700 | |
| Wexford | 5,800 | 6,000 | 20,500 | |
| Wicklow | 6,700 | 6,900 | 18,700 | |
| County not included | 400 | 300 | 2,000 | |
| Total | 225,000 | 230,400 | 598,000 |
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 (47,400), followed by Wholesale and Retail Trade (32,100) and Administrative and Support Service activities (23,500). The largest weekly drop was in Accommodation and Food Service activities (1,300).
Sector Breakdown
| Industrial Sector | Number of people in receipt of Pandemic Unemployment Payment on 1 September | Number of people in receipt of Pandemic Unemployment Payment on 25 August | Number of people in receipt of Pandemic Unemployment Payment on 5 May |
| Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing; Mining and Quarrying | 3,100 | 3,200 | 8,600 |
| Manufacturing | 12,200 | 12,500 | 37,400 |
| Electricity, gas supply; Water supply, sewerage and waste management | 900 | 900 | 2,100 |
| Construction | 17,000 | 17,500 | 79,300 |
| Wholesale and Retail Trade; Repair of Motor Vehicles and motorcycles | 32,100 | 32,900 | 90,300 |
| Transportation and storage | 9,500 | 9,600 | 17,900 |
| Accommodation and food service activities | 47,400 | 48,700 | 128,500 |
| Information and communication activities | 6,400 | 6,800 | 11,800 |
| Financial and insurance activities | 5,800 | 6,000 | 12,500 |
| Real Estate activities | 3,400 | 3,500 | 8,100 |
| Professional, Scientific and Technical activities | 11,500 | 11,700 | 24,800 |
| Administrative and support service activities | 23,500 | 23,600 | 45,800 |
| Public Administration And Defence; Compulsory Social Security | 5,500 | 5,600 | 14,400 |
| Education | 14,100 | 14,400 | 22,000 |
| Human Health And Social Work activities | 9,600 | 9,900 | 22,500 |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 6,200 | 6,300 | 14,200 |
| Other Sectors | 10,100 | 10,300 | 39,200 |
| Unclassified or unknown | 6,700 | 7,000 | 18,600 |
| Total | 225,000 | 230,400 | 598,000 |
Appendix 3 – Pandemic Unemployment Payment - Age Profile
| Age category | Number of people in receipt of Pandemic Unemployment Payment on 1 September | Number of people in receipt of Pandemic Unemployment Payment on 25 August |
| < 25 | 46,300 | 47,200 |
| 25-34 | 50,950 | 52,000 |
| 35-44 | 50,100 | 51,400 |
| 45-54 | 42,600 | 43,800 |
| 55+ | 35,050 | 36,000 |
| Total | 225,000 | 230,400 |
Appendix 4 – Pandemic Unemployment Payment Rates breakdown by gender
There are 58,100 people receiving €203 this week, while the remainder (166,900) are receiving a payment of €350.
| Gender | Number of people in receipt of €350 on 1 September | Number of people in receipt of €203 on 1 September |
| Male | 90,700 | 26,900 |
| Female | 76,200 | 31,200 |
| Total | 166,900 | 58,100 |
Appendix 5 – Pandemic Unemployment Payment Rates breakdown by age
| Age category | Number of people in receipt of €350 on 1 September | Number of people in receipt of €203 on 1 September |
| < 25 | 31,100 | 15,100 |
| 25-34 | 41,600 | 9,350 |
| 35-44 | 38,600 | 11,600 |
| 45-54 | 31,300 | 11,300 |
| 55+ | 24,300 | 10,750 |
| Total | 166,900 | 58,100 |
Appendix 6 – Analysis of Closed PUP payments to return to Work
Around 6,300 people who have closed their account for return to work since 25 August will receive a Pandemic Unemployment Payment tomorrow, 1 September. Of these, 2,800 are male and 3,500 are female.
County Breakdown
| County | Number of people who closed their Pandemic Unemployment Payment from 1 September | Number of people who closed their Pandemic Unemployment Payment from 25 August | Number of people who closed their Pandemic Unemployment Payment from 11 August |
| Carlow | 100 | 50 | 100 |
| Cavan | 100 | 50 | 200 |
| Clare | 100 | 100 | 200 |
| Cork | 700 | 500 | 800 |
| Donegal | 300 | 200 | 300 |
| Dublin | 1,700 | 1,400 | 2,300 |
| Galway | 400 | 250 | 500 |
| Kerry | 200 | 150 | 300 |
| Kildare | 300 | 150 | 400 |
| Kilkenny | 100 | 100 | 200 |
| Laois | 100 | 50 | 100 |
| Leitrim | 50 | 50 | 100 |
| Limerick | 250 | 200 | 300 |
| Longford | 50 | 50 | 100 |
| Louth | 200 | 150 | 300 |
| Mayo | 150 | 150 | 200 |
| Meath | 200 | 200 | 300 |
| Monaghan | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Offaly | 100 | 50 | 100 |
| Roscommon | 100 | 50 | 100 |
| Sligo | 100 | 50 | 100 |
| Tipperary | 200 | 200 | 200 |
| Waterford | 200 | 150 | 200 |
| Westmeath | 100 | 100 | 200 |
| Wexford | 200 | 150 | 300 |
| Wicklow | 200 | 150 | 300 |
| County not included | 0 | 0 | 100 |
| Total | 6,300 | 4,800 | 8,400 |
Appendix 7 – Closed Pandemic Unemployment Payments - Sector Breakdown
The top three sectors from which employees closed their Pandemic Unemployment Payment in the week ending 1st September are Accommodation and Food Service Activities (1,000), Education (950) and Wholesale and Retail Trade; Repair of Motor Vehicles and motorcycles (700).
| Industrial Sector | Number of people who closed their Pandemic Unemployment Payment from 1 September | Number of people who closed their Pandemic Unemployment Payment from 25 August |
| Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing; Mining and Quarrying | 100 | 100 |
| Manufacturing | 400 | 300 |
| Electricity, gas supply; Water supply, sewerage and waste management | 0 | 0 |
| Construction | 400 | 400 |
| Wholesale and Retail Trade; Repair of Motor Vehicles and motorcycles | 700 | 750 |
| Transportation and storage | 300 | 100 |
| Accommodation and food service activities | 1,000 | 1,100 |
| Information and communication activities | 200 | 200 |
| Financial and insurance activities | 150 | 100 |
| Real Estate activities | 100 | 100 |
| Professional, Scientific and Technical activities | 250 | 200 |
| Administrative and support service activities | 500 | 400 |
| Public Administration And Defence; Compulsory Social Security | 250 | 50 |
| Education | 950 | 300 |
| Human Health And Social Work activities | 500 | 300 |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 150 | 100 |
| Other Sectors | 250 | 200 |
| Unclassified or unknown | 100 | 100 |
| Total | 6,300 | 4,800 |
Appendix 8 – Closed Pandemic Unemployment Payments – Age Profile
| Age category | Number of people who closed their Pandemic Unemployment Payment from 1 September | Number of people who closed their Pandemic Unemployment Payment from 25 August |
| < 25 | 1,200 | 1,000 |
| 25-34 | 1,400 | 1,100 |
| 35-44 | 1,400 | 1,200 |
| 45-54 | 1,300 | 900 |
| 55+ | 1,000 | 600 |
| Total | 6,300 | 4,800 |
Appendix 9 - Analysis of Pandemic Unemployment Payments Recipients who closed their claim since start of Phase 1 and who are currently receiving the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS) – Sector Breakdown
Since the start of Phase 1 on 18 May, 93,300 people have closed their claims for the Pandemic Unemployment Payment for reasons of returning to work and are currently being subsidised by the government's Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS). Of this total 50,200 are female and 43,100 are male.
The top three sectors from which people closed their Pandemic Unemployment Payment who are currently receiving the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme are Accommodation and Food Service Activities (35,400); Wholesale and Retail Trade, Repair of Motor Vehicles and motorcycles (17,100) and Construction (9,300).
Sector Breakdown
| Industrial Sector | Number of people who closed their Pandemic Unemployment payment for return to work reasons since 18 May and receiving the TWSS on 1 September | Number of people who closed their Pandemic Unemployment payment for return to work reasons since 18 May and receiving the TWSS on 25 August | |
| Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing; Mining and Quarrying | 500 | 500 | |
| Manufacturing | 6,200 | 6,300 | |
| Electricity, gas supply; Water supply, sewerage and waste management | 100 | 100 | |
| Construction | 9,300 | 9,600 | |
| Wholesale and Retail Trade; Repair of Motor Vehicles and motorcycles | 17,100 | 16,400 | |
| Transportation and storage | 1,300 | 1,200 | |
| Accommodation and food service activities | 35,400 | 35,200 | |
| Information and communication activities | 700 | 700 | |
| Financial and insurance activities | 600 | 600 | |
| Real Estate activities | 1,200 | 1,200 | |
| Professional, Scientific and Technical activities | 2,400 | 2,200 | |
| Administrative and support service activities | 2,400 | 2,300 | |
| Public Administration And Defence; Compulsory Social Security | 500 | 500 | |
| Education | 1,200 | 1,200 | |
| Human Health And Social Work activities | 2,700 | 2,700 | |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 2,900 | 2,800 | |
| Other Sectors | 8,600 | 8,600 | |
| Unclassified or unknown | 200 | 200 | |
| Total | 93,300 | 92,300 |
Appendix 10 - Age Profile of people who closed their Pandemic Unemployment Payment to return to work since 18 May and receiving TWSS
| Age category | Number of people who closed their Pandemic Unemployment Payment for return to work reasons since 18 May and who are in receipt of the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme at 1 September |
| < 25 | 21,900 |
| 25-34 | 22,500 |
| 35-44 | 22,900 |
| 45-54 | 16,100 |
| 55+ | 9,900 |
| Total9 | 93,300 |
Appendix 11 - Analysis of COVID-19 Enhanced Illness Benefit
There are 57,350 people medically certified for receipt of a COVID-19 related Illness Benefit payment, of whom 31,900 are female and 25,450 are male.
For 2,950 people the date of their first certificate was issued in August 2020, of which 267 have been certified for COVID-19.
1,184 people are currently in receipt of the payment.
The following Table shows the number of people medically certified for meeting the conditions for receipt of a COVID-19 Enhanced Illness Benefit payment, by start date entered on the medical certificate. The number of people medically certified with having COVID-19 is given in brackets and is included in the weekly overall figure shown.
| Certificate start date | 1 September |
| Before March 2020 | 200 (7) |
| March 2020 | 31,100 (994) |
| April 2020 | 14,500 (2,027) |
| May 2020 | 5,000 (770) |
| June 2020 | 1,500 (129) |
| July 2020 | 2,100 (142) |
| August 2020 | 2,950(267) |
| Total | 57,350 (4,336) |
County Breakdown (based on the county recorded on the Illness Benefit certificate)
| County | Number of people who are medically certified for receipt of Enhanced Illness Benefit on 1 September | Number of people who are medically certified for receipt of Enhanced Illness Benefit on 25 August | |
| Carlow | 800 | 800 | |
| Cavan | 1,400 | 1,400 | |
| Clare | 1,000 | 1,000 | |
| Cork | 6,500 | 6,400 | |
| Donegal | 1,250 | 1,250 | |
| Dublin | 16,400 | 16,100 | |
| Galway | 3,400 | 3,350 | |
| Kerry | 1,200 | 1,200 | |
| Kildare | 3,100 | 3,000 | |
| Kilkenny | 1,200 | 1,100 | |
| Laois | 1,000 | 1,000 | |
| Leitrim | 200 | 200 | |
| Limerick | 2,000 | 2,000 | |
| Longford | 500 | 500 | |
| Louth | 1,700 | 1,700 | |
| Mayo | 1,400 | 1,400 | |
| Meath | 2,200 | 2,200 | |
| Monaghan | 900 | 900 | |
| Offaly | 1,000 | 1,000 | |
| Roscommon | 900 | 900 | |
| Sligo | 500 | 500 | |
| Tipperary | 2,000 | 1,800 | |
| Waterford | 1,700 | 1,700 | |
| Westmeath | 1,100 | 1,000 | |
| Wexford | 1,900 | 1,800 | |
| Wicklow | 1,800 | 1,700 | |
| Other (NI & Foreign Address) | 300 | 300 | |
| Total | 57,350 | 56,200 |
Appendix 12 – COVID-19 Enhanced Illness Benefit - Sector Breakdown
The sector with the highest number of people medically certified for receipt of a COVID-19 Illness Benefit payment is Human Health and Social Work (12,300), followed by Wholesale and Retail Trade (12,200) and Manufacturing (8,000).
Sector Breakdown
| Industrial Sector | Number of people who are medically certified for receipt of Enhanced Illness Benefit on 1 September | Number of people who are medically certified for receipt of Enhanced Illness Benefit on 25 August | |
| Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing; Mining and Quarrying | 550 | 500 | |
| Manufacturing | 8,000 | 7,800 | |
| Electricity, gas, steam supply; Water supply; Sewerage, waste management | 300 | 300 | |
| Construction | 2,200 | 2,200 | |
| Wholesale and Retail Trade; Repair of Motor Vehicles and motorcycles | 12,200 | 11,900 | |
| Transportation and storage | 2,200 | 2,200 | |
| Accommodation and food service activities | 2,500 | 2,400 | |
| Information and communication activities | 1,000 | 900 | |
| Financial and insurance activities | 2,300 | 2,300 | |
| Real Estate activities | 500 | 500 | |
| Professional, Scientific and Technical activities | 1,900 | 1,800 | |
| Administrative and support service activities | 5,600 | 5,500 | |
| Public Administration And Defence; Compulsory Social Security | 2,300 | 2,200 | |
| Education | 900 | 900 | |
| Human Health And Social Work activities | 12,300 | 12,200 | |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 400 | 400 | |
| Other Sectors | 1,700 | 1,700 | |
| Unclassified or unknown | 500 | 500 | |
| Total | 57,350 | 56,200 |
Appendix 13 – Enhanced Illness Benefit - Age Profile
| Age category | Number of people medically certified to receive Enhanced Illness Benefit on 1 September |
| < 25 | 6,800 |
| 25-34 | 14,000 |
| 35-44 | 16,200 |
| 45-54 | 12,050 |
| 55+ | 8,300 |
| Total | 57,350 |