Update on payments awarded for COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment and Enhanced Illness Benefit

206,341 people receive Pandemic Unemployment Payment this week

€61.3 million to be paid in PUP payments tomorrow

Minister Humphreys: We owe it to our frontline workers to heed public health advice

Today the Department of Social Protection issued payments valued at €61.3 million to 206,341 people for the COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP). This represents a decrease of 3,600 on the 209,941 people paid last week and it is a drop of over 65% on the 598,000 paid at its peak on 5 May.

In the past seven days, 6,333 people have closed their claim for the Pandemic Unemployment Payment. Some 4,568 people will be receiving their final payment tomorrow, 22 September.

This week the sector with the largest number of employees returning to work is Accommodation and Food Service Activities with 820 people going back to work, followed by Wholesale and Retail Trade; Repair of Motor Vehicles and Motorcycles and the Education sector with 625 and 529 people from the respective sectors returning to work.

The largest age cohort returning to work is in the 35-44 group (1,146). This is followed by 1,007 in the 25-34 age category and 941 aged between 45 and 54.

The above figures are in addition to the people who were reported on the Live Register as of the end of August. All COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payments issued will be in recipients’ bank accounts or at their local post office tomorrow, Tuesday 22 September.

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.

Commenting on today’s numbers, Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys TD, said:

Changes to PUP Payment Rates

As was announced as part of the July Jobs Stimulus package, the Pandemic Unemployment Payment is continuing until April 2021 with the payment rates changing on 17 September 2020 and in February 2021.

PUP Rate Changes from 17 September 2020

From 17 September 2020, the Pandemic Unemployment Payment has moved to 3 rates of payment.

The rate a recipient is linked to their previous incomes, as follows:

• if they earned over €300 (gross) per week - they will now receive €300 per week
• if they earned between €200 and €300 (gross) per week - the rate of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment will now be €250 per week
• if they earned less than €200 (gross) 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 tomorrow, Tuesday 22 September.

Individuals do not need to contact the department about their earnings. The department will be contacting PUP recipients individually about these changes informing them of their new rate of payment.

How prior earnings determine the PUP rate

For Employees

For an employee, the department has examined their average gross weekly earnings in 2019 and January and February 2020. Whichever period gives the higher weekly rate of income will be used.

For example, if someone’s average gross weekly earnings were €195 in 2019 and €210 in 2020 - the figure of €210 will be used.

Similarly, if their average gross weekly earnings in 2019 were higher than in 2020, the 2019 figure will be used.

For the Self-Employed

For the self-employed, the 2018 and 2019 earnings provided to Revenue are considered and the higher average weekly income figure is used to decide their rate of payment.

For those who were both employed and self-employed in 2019

For those who have a combination of employment and self-employment in 2019, their earnings from both their employment and self-employment are added together in order to arrive at an average weekly earnings figure.

For all PUP recipients the department has used the calculation which gives the customer the highest weekly rate of income as the basis for determining their new PUP rate.

People returning to work

In the past week, some 6,333 people closed their claim for the Pandemic Unemployment Payment of which 4,707 reported that they were returning to work. Of those 4,707 returning to work, some 4,568 are receiving their last payment this week. As the Pandemic Unemployment Payment is a weekly payment paid in arrears, there is a one week lag in how closures, due to people returning to work or people making new applications for PUP, are reflected in the payment data.

This week the sector with the largest number of employees returning to work is Accommodation and Food Service Activities (820), followed by Wholesale and Retail Trade; Repair of Motor vehicles and Motorcycles (625) and the Education sector (529). A full breakdown of the sectors in this area is set out at Appendix 7 below.

Looking at the age profile, the largest number of people returning to work is in the 35-44 group (1,146), followed by the 25-34 age category (1,007). Full details are available at Appendix 8.

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.

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, or has had to close their business again temporarily, the department will continue to support the workers concerned through payment of the PUP. New applications for PUP can be made until the end of this year.

Occasional employment

On the area of occasional employment, the department considers this to be once-off irregular, infrequent, or isolated events and where there is a clear divergence from previous employment patterns. Where a person has any doubt, they should contact the department directly to discuss their claim.

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 PUP payment file and Revenue’s records
• 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

Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance

Parents and guardians of students are being reminded that the department’s Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance is available to provide financial support with back to school costs. Minister Humphreys has extended the payment, which is means-tested, to include parents and guardians who are receiving the Pandemic Unemployment Payment. Families who wish to make an application can do so via www.MyWelfare.ie. This is the quickest and easiest way to apply. People should apply by 30 September.

Under the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance, €150 is paid for each eligible child aged 4 - 11 years on or before 30 September 2020, while an allowance of €275 is paid for each eligible child aged 12 - 22 years on or before 30 September 2020. Students aged between 18 and 22 years must be returning to full-time second-level education in a recognised school or college in autumn 2020.

COVID-19 Enhanced Illness Benefit Payment

Since the beginning of September, approx. 261 people have been medically certified with having COVID-19 and approx. 4,058 others have been medically certified because they are medically self-isolating.

To date 64,029 people under age 66 have been medically certified for receipt of the COVID-19 Enhanced Illness Benefit.

The two sectors with the highest number of employees medically certified to receive COVID-19 Illness Benefit are Wholesale and Retail Trade (13,495) and Human Health and Social Work activities (13,151). Full details are at Appendices 9, 10 and 11.

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.

ENDS

• 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 - Enhanced Illness Benefit Payments by County
• Appendix 10 - Enhanced Illness Benefit Payments by Sector
• Appendix 11 - Enhanced Illness Benefit Payments Age Profile

Appendix 1 - Analysis of Pandemic Unemployment Payments

There are 206,341 people in receipt a Pandemic Unemployment Payment of which 95,257 are female and 111,084 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 (44,900) followed by Wholesale and Retail Trade (30,475) and Administrative and Support Service activities (22,798).

Sector Breakdown

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 – Analysis of Closed PUP payments to return to Work

Around 4,707 people who have closed their account for return to work since 13 September will receive a Pandemic Unemployment Payment tomorrow, 22 September. Of these, 2,179 are male and 2,528 are female.

County Breakdown

Appendix 7 – Closed Pandemic Unemployment Payments - Sector Breakdown

The top three sectors from which employees closed their Pandemic Unemployment Payment in the week ending 22nd September are Accommodation and Food Service Activities (820), Wholesale and Retail Trade; Repair of Motor Vehicles and motorcycles (625) and Education (529).

Appendix 8 – Closed Pandemic Unemployment Payments – Age Profile

Appendix 9 - Analysis of COVID-19 Enhanced Illness Benefit

There are 64,029 people medically certified for receipt of a COVID-19 related Illness Benefit payment, of whom 35,475 are female and 28,554 are male.

Since September 2020, approximately 4,319 people have been medically certified for meeting the conditions for receipt of a COVID-19 Enhanced Illness Benefit payment and some 261 of these being diagnosed with COVID-19.

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

Appendix 10 – COVID-19 Enhanced Illness Benefit - Sector Breakdown

The two sectors with the highest number of people medically certified for receipt of a COVID-19 Illness Benefit payment are Wholesale and Retail Trade (13,495) and Human Health and Social Work (13,151), followed by Manufacturing (9,095).

Sector Breakdown

Appendix 11 – Enhanced Illness Benefit - Age Profile