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

228,858 people receive Pandemic Unemployment Payment this week

An increase of 23,265 receiving PUP compared to last week

4,931 closed their PUP claim in past 7 days to return to work

€61.4 million to be paid in PUP payments tomorrow

PUP remains open to new entrants who should apply online at MyWelfare.ie

Increase in number of people receiving Enhanced Illness Benefit

Today the Department of Social Protection issued payments valued at €61.4 million, up from €55.2 million last week, to 228,858 people for the COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP).

The number of people receiving a PUP payment this week represents an increase of 23,265 on the 205,593 people paid last week.

In the past seven days, 4,931 people have closed their claim for the Pandemic Unemployment Payment. Of these, 3,139 have reported that they were returning to work. Some 2,138 people will be receiving their final payment tomorrow, 13 October.

The sector with the highest number of people receiving a PUP payment this week is Accommodation and Food Service Activities (69,535) followed by Wholesale and Retail Trade (30,500) and Administrative and Support Service activities (22,640). The Accommodation and Food Service Activities sector has increased by 18,249 since last week.

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. All COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payments issued will be in recipients’ bank accounts or at their local post office tomorrow, Tuesday 13 October.

Commenting on the figures, Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys TD, said:

Applying for PUP

To apply for the Pandemic Unemployment Payment, people should do so online at MyWelfare.ie. When applying, people should provide the name of their employer and details of their last day of employment.

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 MyWelfare.ie.

People returning to work

In the past week, some 4,931 people closed their claim for the Pandemic Unemployment Payment of which 3,139 reported that they were returning to work. 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 greatest number of employees returning to work is Accommodation and Food Service Activities (489), followed by Wholesale and Retail Trade; Repair of Motor vehicles and Motorcycles (478) and the Administrative and Support Service activities (344). 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 25-34 group, followed by those aged 35–44. 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 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).

Employment supports available to people returning to work

Subject to satisfying the relevant eligibility criteria, employees may claim casual (that is, part-time) jobseeker’s payments or Short-Time Work Support payments for days of unemployment, even where their employer is claiming the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme for days of employment. The normal scheme rules and application processes for casual jobseeker payments and Short-Time Work Support apply, including completion of the relevant forms by the employer to certify days of employment and unemployment.

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 these workers through payment of the PUP. New applications for PUP can be made until the end of this year.

Occasional employment

The department considers occasional employment 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 Enhanced Illness Benefit Payment

Since March, 71,641 people under the age of 66 have been medically certified for receipt of the COVID-19 Enhanced Illness Benefit, which is an increase of 2,375 from last week.

Some 2,604 people are currently in receipt of an Enhanced Illness Benefit payment.

This week again, the number of people medically certified to receive the Enhanced Illness Benefit has increased in every county.

There has also been an increase in every sector. The sectors with the highest number of people medically certified for receipt of a COVID-19 Illness Benefit payment are Wholesale and Retail Trade (15,205) and Human Health and Social Work (14,063), followed by Manufacturing (9,988). Full details are at Appendices 9, 10 and 11.

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 - 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 228,858 people in receipt a Pandemic Unemployment Payment of which 108,153 are female and 120,705 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 (69,535) followed by Wholesale and Retail Trade (30,500) and Administrative and Support Service activities (22,640).

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 3,139 people who have closed their account for return to work since 4 October will receive a Pandemic Unemployment Payment tomorrow, 13 October. Of these 1,562 are male and 1,577 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 13 October to return to work are Accommodation and Food Service Activities (489), Wholesale and Retail Trade; Repair of Motor Vehicles and motorcycles (478) and Administrative and Support Service activities (344).

Appendix 8 – Closed Pandemic Unemployment Payments – Age Profile

Appendix 9 - Analysis of COVID-19 Enhanced Illness Benefit

Since March, 71,641 people have been medically certified for receipt of a COVID-19 related Illness Benefit payment, of which 39,684 are female and 31,957 are male.

Some 2,604 people are currently in receipt of an Enhanced Illness Benefit payment.

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 who have been medically certified for receipt of a COVID-19 Illness Benefit payment to date are Wholesale and Retail Trade (15,205) and Human Health and Social Work (14,063), followed by Manufacturing (9,988).

Sector Breakdown

Appendix 11 – Enhanced Illness Benefit - Age Profile