Update on payments awarded for COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment and Enhanced Illness Benefit - 13 July 2021
From Department of Social Protection
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Social Protection
Published on
Last updated on
This week, the Department of Social Protection issued weekly payments valued at €62.7 million to 211,847 people in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP).
The number of recipients represents a decrease of 9,241 people compared to last week. The largest reduction, of over 3,700, 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 13 July.
Today, Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys urged anyone who finds themselves out of work to consider availing of the employment supports announced this week as part of the government’s Pathways to Work strategy.
The strategy will remove barriers to employment, provide tens of thousands of training and education places, significantly enhance the Public Employment Service, provide incentives to employers to take people off the Live Register, and deliver a special package of supports for young people.
Minister Humphreys said:
“Pathways to Work sets out our ambitious plans to support tens of thousands of people into employment.
“With 83 key commitments, this strategy is about leaving nobody behind and ensuring that work is available for all our citizens.
“Whether it is access to advice or training, or paid work experience under our new Work Placement Experience Programme, Pathways to Work will give people the support they need to find sustainable, quality employment.
“Of course, for people who are still waiting for their sector to reopen and their jobs to return, the PUP will continue to be available.
“But for others who require support in finding new employment, my department is here to help. I would encourage anyone in this position to contact their local Intreo Centre.
Commenting on today’s specific PUP figures, Minister Humphreys added:
“Since February, over 270,000 people have closed their PUP accounts as they returned to work.
“Today’s fall in numbers further demonstrates the progress we are making in reopening our economy and getting businesses back open.
“Over the coming weeks, we can expect the overall number of recipients to fall further, particularly as we move to reopen indoor hospitality.
“The government’s overarching approach will continue to be one that is cautious and prioritises the health of our citizens.
“While we are making great progress, we must carefully monitor the trajectory of this virus in the weeks and months to come.”
Further details on the trends are set out in the Appendices.
Looking at the age cohort as set out in Appendix 3, the greatest decrease this week again is in the under 25 age group with 45,881 receiving PUP compared with 50,437 last week.
Dublin continues to be the county with the highest number of people who are receiving PUP this week at 78,042. It is followed by Cork (18,915) and Galway (11,261).
The sector with the highest number of people in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment is Accommodation and Food Service Activities (50,754) followed by Wholesale and Retail Trade (32,343) and Administrative and support service activities (23,189).
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 12 July, as they have returned to work, will receive their final PUP payment on Tuesday 20 July.
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 4,953 of these people are receiving a final payment this week and are still counted in the numbers in payment for this week.
Over 7,500 people closed their Pandemic Unemployment Payment in the past seven days stating that they were doing because they are returning to work. The top three sectors from which employees closed their Pandemic Unemployment Payment to return to work are Accommodation and food service activities (2,590), Wholesale and Retail Trade (1,105), and Construction (622).
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.
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.
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 the helpline 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 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.
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.
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 1,128 people are in receipt of an Enhanced Illness Benefit payment, compared with 1,073 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.
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.