Update on payments awarded for COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment and Enhanced Illness Benefit - 6 July 2021

Just over 221,000 people receive the Pandemic Unemployment Payment this week, a decrease of nearly 6,900 on last week

€65.4 million in PUP weekly payments paid into bank accounts today

Pandemic Unemployment Payment remains open for new applications up to and including 7 July

€1,000 Enterprise Support Grant available for self-employed people who close their PUP payment

As restrictions are eased, people returning to work should close their claim on their first day back in work by logging on to www.MyWelfare.ie

All PUP recipients are asked to confirm their continued eligibility for PUP by 20 July by logging on to www.MyWelfare.ie

Public reminded about Scam Phone Calls and Scam Texts from callers claiming to be from the Department of Social Protection

This week, the Department of Social Protection issued weekly payments valued at €65.4 million to 221,088 people in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP).

The number of recipients represents a decrease of 6,894 people compared to last week. The largest reduction, of over 3,000, was in the Accommodation and Food Services Sector.

The PUP figures published today 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 6 July.

Speaking today, Minister Humphreys said:

Further detail on the trends in the most recent statistics is set out in the Appendices.

Looking at the age cohort as set out in Appendix 3, the greatest decrease this week was in the under 25 age category with 50,437 receiving PUP compared with 52,231 last week.

Dublin is the county with the highest number of people who are receiving PUP this week at 80,789. It is followed by Cork (19,925) and Galway (11,805).

The sector with the highest number of people in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment is Accommodation and Food Service Activities (54,518) followed by Wholesale and Retail Trade (33,610) and Administrative and support service activities (23,824).

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 5 July, as they have returned to work, will receive their final PUP payment on Tuesday 13 July.

PUP will remain open to new entrants up to and including 7 July 2021. This means that from 8 July PUP will be closed to new applications. Any individual who loses employment after 7 July should apply for a Jobseeker’s payment. The quickest and easiest way to apply for a Jobseeker’s payment is online via MyWelfare.ie.

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 5,301 of these people are receiving a final payment this week and are still counted in the numbers in payment for this week.

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 reopens 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.

Confirmation of Eligibility to continue to receive PUP

As is standard with all social welfare payments, people receiving the Pandemic Unemployment Payment may be asked from time to time to confirm their eligibility to continue to receive their payment. This helps to ensure that people who have, for example, returned to work are reminded to close their claim and avoid incurring an overpayment.

Similar to earlier this year and last year the department has begun a process of contacting PUP recipients asking them to confirm their ongoing entitlement.

All PUP recipients are asked to confirm their continued eligibility for PUP by Tuesday 20 July.

PUP recipients should log onto MyWelfare and following the instructions under the heading ‘Continued eligibility to receive Pandemic Unemployment Payment’. Any person who experiences difficulty in doing this should contact our helpline on 1890 800 024 (Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm).

The department wishes to make it absolutely clear that it is not requesting bank account or other financial institution details as part of the ‘Confirm Eligibility’ process.

Self-employed people and PUP

Self-employed people in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) 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 1,073 people are in receipt of an Enhanced Illness Benefit payment, compared with 1,012 last week.

Full details on Enhanced Illness Benefit including sector and county breakdown as well as age profile are at Appendices 9, 10 and 11.

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.