Press release
Update on payments awarded for COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment and Enhanced Illness Benefit
From Department of Social Protection
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Social Protection
Published on
Last updated on
Today the Department of Social Protection issued payments valued at €65.5 million to 209,941 people for the COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP). This represents a decrease of 9,959 on the 219,900 people paid last week and it is a drop of over 64% on the 598,000 paid at its peak on 5 May.
In the past seven days, 9,974 people have closed their claim for the Pandemic Unemployment Payment. Some 7,457 people will be receiving their final payment tomorrow, 15 September.
This week the sector with the largest number of employees returning to work is Accommodation and Food Service Activities with 1,304 people going back to work, followed by the Education sector with 1,091 people returning to work.
The largest age cohort returning to work is in the 35-44 group (1,869). This is followed by 1,566 in the 25-34 age category and 1,537 aged 45-54.
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 15 September.
The easiest way for people to apply for the Pandemic Unemployment Payment is online at 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:
“While this week’s decrease is encouraging, it is evident to all of us that COVID-19 continues to be active and can re-surface in our communities without warning.
“As more businesses prepare to re-open and schools and colleges return, it is now vital more than ever that we take every possible precaution to protect ourselves, our families and our work colleagues.
“The government, under the advice of NPHET, is currently finalising the new Plan which will be published tomorrow. For the Plan to work as effectively as possible, we all must carry out our daily lives as if the virus is among us.
“We owe these efforts to all those frontline workers who, for many months now, have put their own lives on the line so that can tackle this awful virus."
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 MyWelfare.ie. This is the quickest and easiest way to apply. People should apply by 30th 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.
As was announced 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.
From 17 September 2020, the Pandemic Unemployment Payment will move from 2 rates of payment to 3 rates {PUP is currently paid at 2 rates (€203 per week for those with earnings below €200 per week and €350 per week for those with earnings of €200 or more per week)}
The rate a recipient will receive will depend on the amount they previously earned:
Recipients of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment will see the impact of these changes in their bank accounts next week, on Tuesday 22 September.
Individuals do not need to contact the department about their earnings. The department has will be contacting PUP recipients in advance of these changes informing them of their new rate of payment.
In the past week, some 9,974 people closed their claim for the Pandemic Unemployment Payment of which 7,629 reported that they were returning to work. Of those 7,629 returning to work, some 7,457 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.
This week the sector with the largest number of employees returning to work is Accommodation and Food Service Activities (1,304), followed by the Education sector (1,091) and Wholesale and Retail Trade; Repair of Motor vehicles and Motorcyles (892). 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 (1,869), followed by the 25-34 age category (1,566). 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.
Since the commencement of Phase One of the government’s Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business, over 321,900 employees have closed their claims and returned to 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).
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.
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:
Since the beginning of September, approx. 80 people have been medically certified with having COVID-19 and approx. 1,720 others have been medically certified because they are medically self-isolating.
To date 60,977 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 (12,890) and Human Health and Social Work sector (12,787), followed by Manufacturing (8,582). Full details are at Appendices 9, 10 and 11.
The department wishes to thank its customers for submitting the majority of applications through our online portal 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 MyWelfare.ie.
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
There are 209,941 people in receipt a Pandemic Unemployment Payment of which 97,522 are female and 112,419 are male.
County Breakdown
| County | Number of people in receipt of a Pandemic Unemployment Payment on 15 September | Number of people in receipt of a Pandemic Unemployment Payment on 8 September | Number of people in receipt of Pandemic Unemployment Payment on 5 May | |
| Carlow | 2,252 | 2,400 | 7,800 | |
| Cavan | 2,744 | 2,900 | 9,700 | |
| Clare | 4,521 | 4,800 | 14,600 | |
| Cork | 19,315 | 20,500 | 61,900 | |
| Donegal | 6,016 | 6,500 | 22,700 | |
| Dublin | 75,978 | 77,900 | 174,200 | |
| Galway | 10,793 | 11,450 | 32,300 | |
| Kerry | 6,358 | 6,700 | 22,200 | |
| Kildare | 10,430 | 11,100 | 26,100 | |
| Kilkenny | 3,013 | 3,300 | 10,600 | |
| Laois | 2,855 | 3,150 | 8,600 | |
| Leitrim | 1,189 | 1,300 | 4,100 | |
| Limerick | 7,980 | 8,400 | 22,300 | |
| Longford | 1,366 | 1,500 | 4,500 | |
| Louth | 6,255 | 6,600 | 17,300 | |
| Mayo | 4,655 | 5,000 | 16,400 | |
| Meath | 8,392 | 8,800 | 25,000 | |
| Monaghan | 2,492 | 2,700 | 8,200 | |
| Offaly | 2,935 | 3,200 | 8,900 | |
| Roscommon | 2,089 | 2,200 | 7,100 | |
| Sligo | 2,315 | 2,500 | 7,700 | |
| Tipperary | 5,743 | 6,300 | 18,800 | |
| Waterford | 4,260 | 4,500 | 14,100 | |
| Westmeath | 3,572 | 3,800 | 11,700 | |
| Wexford | 5,205 | 5,600 | 20,500 | |
| Wicklow | 6,161 | 6,500 | 18,700 | |
| County not included | 1,057 | 300 | 2,000 | |
| Total | 209,941 | 219,900 | 598,000 |
The sector with the highest number of people in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment is Accommodation and Food Service Activities (45,584) followed by Wholesale and Retail Trade (30,869) and Administrative and Support Service activities (22,924).
| Industrial Sector | Number of people in receipt of Pandemic Unemployment Payment on 15 September | Number of people in receipt of Pandemic Unemployment Payment on 8 September | Number of people in receipt of Pandemic Unemployment Payment on 5 May |
| Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing; Mining and Quarrying | 2,945 | 3,100 | 8,600 |
| Manufacturing | 11,733 | 12,000 | 37,400 |
| Electricity, gas supply; Water supply, sewerage and waste management | 861 | 900 | 2,100 |
| Construction | 16,360 | 16,700 | 79,300 |
| Wholesale and Retail Trade; Repair of Motor Vehicles and motorcycles | 30,869 | 31,700 | 90,300 |
| Transportation and storage | 8,147 | 9,200 | 17,900 |
| Accommodation and food service activities | 45,584 | 46,750 | 128,500 |
| Information and communication activities | 5,996 | 6,200 | 11,800 |
| Financial and insurance activities | 5,431 | 5,700 | 12,500 |
| Real Estate activities | 3,236 | 3,400 | 8,100 |
| Professional, Scientific and Technical activities | 10,947 | 11,300 | 24,800 |
| Administrative and support service activities | 22,924 | 23,300 | 45,800 |
| Public Administration And Defence; Compulsory Social Security | 4,589 | 5,200 | 14,400 |
| Education | 10,515 | 12,850 | 22,000 |
| Human Health And Social Work activities | 8,173 | 9,100 | 22,500 |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 5,946 | 6,100 | 14,200 |
| Other Sectors | 9,395 | 9,900 | 39,200 |
| Unclassified or unknown | 6,290 | 6,500 | 18,600 |
| Total | 209,941 | 219,900 | 598,000 |
| Age category | Number of people in receipt of Pandemic Unemployment Payment on 15 September | Number of people in receipt of Pandemic Unemployment Payment on 8 September |
| < 25 | 43,792 | 45,200 |
| 25-34 | 48,064 | 49,900 |
| 35-44 | 46,779 | 49,100 |
| 45-54 | 39,226 | 41,500 |
| 55+ | 32,080 | 34,200 |
| Total | 209,941 | 219,900 |
There are 53,847 people receiving €203 this week, while the remainder (156,094) are receiving a payment of €350.
| Gender | Number of people in receipt of €350 on 15 September | Number of people in receipt of €203 on 15 September |
| Male | 86,986 | 25,433 |
| Female | 69,018 | 28,414 |
| Total | 156,094 | 53,847 |
| Age category | Number of people in receipt of €350 on 15 September | Number of people in receipt of €203 on 15 September |
| < 25 | 29,539 | 14,253 |
| 25-34 | 39,404 | 8,660 |
| 35-44 | 36,216 | 10,563 |
| 45-54 | 28,864 | 10,362 |
| 55+ | 22,071 | 10,009 |
| Total | 156,094 | 53,847 |
Around 7,629 people who have closed their account for return to work since 6 September will receive a Pandemic Unemployment Payment tomorrow, 15 September. Of these, 3,281 are male and 4,348 are female.
County Breakdown
| County | Number of people who closed their Pandemic Unemployment Payment from 15 September | Number of people who closed their Pandemic Unemployment Payment from 8 September | Number of people who closed their Pandemic Unemployment Payment from 1 September | |
| Carlow | 89 | 100 | 100 | |
| Cavan | 120 | 100 | 100 | |
| Clare | 186 | 200 | 100 | |
| Cork | 868 | 900 | 700 | |
| Donegal | 286 | 300 | 300 | |
| Dublin | 1,888 | 1,700 | 1,700 | |
| Galway | 449 | 500 | 400 | |
| Kerry | 261 | 200 | 200 | |
| Kildare | 446 | 400 | 300 | |
| Kilkenny | 126 | 100 | 100 | |
| Laois | 144 | 200 | 100 | |
| Leitrim | 45 | 100 | 50 | |
| Limerick | 323 | 300 | 250 | |
| Longford | 61 | 100 | 50 | |
| Louth | 228 | 200 | 200 | |
| Mayo | 213 | 200 | 150 | |
| Meath | 312 | 300 | 200 | |
| Monaghan | 136 | 100 | 100 | |
| Offaly | 150 | 200 | 100 | |
| Roscommon | 86 | 100 | 100 | |
| Sligo | 95 | 100 | 100 | |
| Tipperary | 278 | 300 | 200 | |
| Waterford | 175 | 200 | 200 | |
| Westmeath | 176 | 200 | 100 | |
| Wexford | 222 | 300 | 200 | |
| Wicklow | 250 | 300 | 200 | |
| County not included | 16 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 7,629 | 7,700 | 6,300 |
The top three sectors from which employees closed their Pandemic Unemployment Payment in the week ending 15 September are Accommodation and Food Service Activities (1,304), Education (1,091) and Wholesale and Retail Trade; Repair of Motor Vehicles and motorcycles (892).
| Industrial Sector | Number of people who closed their Pandemic Unemployment Payment from 15 September | Number of people who closed their Pandemic Unemployment Payment from 8 September |
| Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing; Mining and Quarrying | 97 | 100 |
| Manufacturing | 437 | 400 |
| Electricity, gas supply; Water supply, sewerage and waste management | 17 | 0 |
| Construction | 472 | 400 |
| Wholesale and Retail Trade; Repair of Motor Vehicles and motorcycles | 892 | 700 |
| Transportation and storage | 509 | 800 |
| Accommodation and food service activities | 1,304 | 800 |
| Information and communication activities | 234 | 200 |
| Financial and insurance activities | 187 | 200 |
| Real Estate activities | 102 | 100 |
| Professional, Scientific and Technical activities | 375 | 300 |
| Administrative and support service activities | 566 | 500 |
| Public Administration And Defence; Compulsory Social Security | 316 | 500 |
| Education | 1,091 | 1,500 |
| Human Health And Social Work activities | 458 | 700 |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 187 | 100 |
| Other Sectors | 259 | 300 |
| Unclassified or unknown | 126 | 100 |
| Total | 7,629 | 7,700 |
| Age category | Number of people who closed their Pandemic Unemployment Payment from 15 September | Number of people who closed their Pandemic Unemployment Payment from 8 September |
| < 25 | 1,466 | 1,100 |
| 25-34 | 1,566 | 1,500 |
| 35-44 | 1,869 | 1,700 |
| 45-54 | 1,537 | 1,800 |
| 55+ | 1,191 | 1,600 |
| Total | 7,629 | 7,700** |
There are 60,977 people medically certified for receipt of a COVID-19 related Illness Benefit payment, of whom 33,833 are female and 27,144 are male.
Since September 2020, approximately 1,800 people have been medically certified for meeting the conditions for receipt of a COVID-19 Enhanced Illness Benefit payment and almost 80 of these being diagnosed with COVID-19.
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 15 September | Number of people who are medically certified for receipt of Enhanced Illness Benefit on 8 September | |
| Carlow | 880 | 800 | |
| Cavan | 1,494 | 1,400 | |
| Clare | 1,105 | 1,100 | |
| Cork | 6,715 | 6,600 | |
| Donegal | 1,338 | 1,300 | |
| Dublin | 17,442 | 16,800 | |
| Galway | 3,569 | 3,500 | |
| Kerry | 1,359 | 1,300 | |
| Kildare | 3,299 | 3,200 | |
| Kilkenny | 1,264 | 1,200 | |
| Laois | 1,100 | 1,100 | |
| Leitrim | 251 | 200 | |
| Limerick | 2,138 | 2,100 | |
| Longford | 523 | 500 | |
| Louth | 1,802 | 1,700 | |
| Mayo | 1,454 | 1,400 | |
| Meath | 2,298 | 2,200 | |
| Monaghan | 975 | 900 | |
| Offaly | 1,048 | 1,000 | |
| Roscommon | 937 | 900 | |
| Sligo | 498 | 500 | |
| Tipperary | 2,215 | 2,100 | |
| Waterford | 1,961 | 1,800 | |
| Westmeath | 1,107 | 1,100 | |
| Wexford | 1,968 | 1,900 | |
| Wicklow | 1,905 | 1,800 | |
| Other (NI & Foreign Address) | 332 | 400 | |
| Total | 60,977 | 58,800 |
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 (12,890) and Human Health and Social Work (12,787), followed by Manufacturing (8,582).
| Industrial Sector | Number of people who are medically certified for receipt of Enhanced Illness Benefit on 15 September | Number of people who are medically certified for receipt of Enhanced Illness Benefit on 8 September | |
| Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing; Mining and Quarrying | 580 | 600 | |
| Manufacturing | 8,582 | 8,200 | |
| Electricity, gas, steam supply; Water supply; Sewerage, waste management | 300 | 300 | |
| Construction | 2,427 | 2,300 | |
| Wholesale and Retail Trade; Repair of Motor Vehicles and motorcycles | 12,890 | 12,500 | |
| Transportation and storage | 2,324 | 2,300 | |
| Accommodation and food service activities | 2,863 | 2,600 | |
| Information and communication activities | 1,036 | 1,000 | |
| Financial and insurance activities | 2,432 | 2,400 | |
| Real Estate activities | 498 | 500 | |
| Professional, Scientific and Technical activities | 1,961 | 1,900 | |
| Administrative and support service activities | 5,864 | 5,700 | |
| Public Administration And Defence; Compulsory Social Security | 2,424 | 2,300 | |
| Education | 1,123 | 1,000 | |
| Human Health And Social Work activities | 12,787 | 12,500 | |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 446 | 400 | |
| Other Sectors | 1,882 | 1,800 | |
| Unclassified or unknown | 558 | 500 | |
| Total | 60,977 | 58,800 |
| Age category | Number of people medically certified to receive Enhanced Illness Benefit on 15 September |
| < 25 | 7,394 |
| 25-34 | 14,963 |
| 35-44 | 17,402 |
| 45-54 | 12,627 |
| 55+ | 8,591 |
| Total | 60,977 |