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

313,800 receive Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) this week, down 31,800 on last week

In the past fortnight, the number of people closing their PUP claim has reached almost 100,000

€97 million to be paid in PUP payments tomorrow

Today represents the final deadline for PUP recipients who have yet to confirm their eligibility

Today, the Department of Social Protection issued payments valued at €97 million to 313,800 people for the COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP). This represents a decrease of 31,800 on the 345,600 people paid last week and a decrease of almost 100,000 in the past two weeks.

In the past seven days, 28,700 people have closed their claim for a Pandemic Unemployment Payment. Some 13,100 will be receiving their final payment tomorrow, 21 July.

The top three sectors in which employees are returning to work this week are Accommodation and Food Services; Wholesale and Retail Trade, Repair of Motor Vehicles and motorcycles; and Construction.

Again, this week, the largest cohort returning to work is aged between 35 and 44.

Minister for Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands, Heather Humphreys, TD, today said:

“This week’s figures show that increasing numbers of people are returning to work as businesses large and small throughout the entire country emerge from the COVID-19 health crisis.

"This week, I will be announcing initiatives under the government’s July Stimulus package aimed specifically at enabling people to move back into employment. I have been working closely with the officials in my department and my colleagues in Government on developing a suite of measures that will stimulate the economy and provide supports to businesses.

"A key element of the package will be enhancing the supports available to people who have lost employment during this pandemic to assist them back into work as quickly as possible.”

Ms Humphreys added:

“While I am very pleased with the weekly statistics on the Pandemic Unemployment Payment showing that more people are continuing to return to work, I would like to give a word of caution. It is absolutely critical that we heed the advice of the National Public Health Emergency Team as everyone is eager to move ahead. Now is not the time to become complacent and we must continue to follow the advice of NPHET."

As well as those availing of the COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment, there are now over 67,700 employers who have registered with the Revenue Commissioners for the Temporary COVID-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS). An estimated 415,000 employees are currently being supported by the scheme having received a subsidy in their most recent pay period.

The above payments are in addition to the 220,900 people who were reported on the Live Register as of the end of June. All COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payments issued will be in recipients’ bank accounts or at their local post office tomorrow, Tuesday 21 July.

Final deadline to confirm continued eligibility to receive Pandemic Unemployment Payment

Monday 20 July represents the final deadline for those remaining PUP recipients who have yet to confirm their continued eligibility for PUP. They can do this online and must do so today, Monday 20 July, this is the final deadline. Failure to do so will affect their continued entitlement to receive a payment.

To do so, recipients should use the online portal www.MyWelfare.ie and follow the instructions under the heading ‘continue eligibility to receive Pandemic Unemployment Payment’. This is the simplest and easiest way to do so. Any person who experiences difficulty in doing this should contact the helpline 1890 800 024 (Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm.)

Payment Rates

This is the third week of the two-tiered payment structure for people receiving the Pandemic Unemployment Payment:

  • employees whose average weekly earnings in 2019 or January and February 2020 (whichever is the higher) were less than €200 gross will receive a weekly Pandemic Unemployment Payment of €203 a week. This equates to the standard jobseeker rate of payment and as it is higher than the person’s prior earnings will still mean that people, who receive €203 per week, are in receipt of a higher income than they had prior to being laid-off due to COVID-19
  • employees with average earnings of €200 or more a week will continue to receive €350 Pandemic Unemployment Payment with almost 3 in 4 recipients continuing to receive €350 per week
  • the payment to self-employed people has been assessed based on their 2018 returns to the Revenue Commissioners (Returns for 2019 are not due until later in 2020)

Some 87,500 people will receive the €203 rate of payment this week which is 8,300 fewer than last week. The majority of people - 226,300 - will continue to receive the €350 rate of payment which is 23,500 fewer than last week.

Any person who believes that their new payment rate does not accurately reflect their prior earnings can contact the department to request a review of earnings and forward all supporting documents, which will be matched with Revenue records.

They can contact the department by:

  • emailing PUPRerate@welfare.ie
  • writing to Pandemic Unemployment Rerate Requests, DEASP, Intreo Centre, Cork Road, Waterford
  • calling 1890 800 024

Any person who requires further information in relation to the rate change, including how it is calculated and information on requesting a review, can contact the department’s Income Support Helpline at 1890 800 024.

People returning to work

In the past week, some 28,700 people closed their claim for the Pandemic Unemployment Payment of which 21,800 reported that they were returning to work. Of those 21,800 returning to work, some 13,100 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.

The top three sectors in which employees are returning to work this week are Accommodation and Food Services (6,500); Wholesale and Retail Trade, Repair of Motor Vehicles and motorcycles (2,800); and Construction (2,100). A full breakdown of the sectors in this area is set out at Appendix 7 below.

Looking at the age profile of employees returning to work this week, the largest cohort are those aged 35-44 with 5,200 returning to employment, followed by those employees aged 25-34 (5,000). This is followed by 4,800 in the under 25 age group and 4,000 aged 45-54, all of whom are returning to work. Full details are available at Appendix 8.

The number of Pandemic Unemployment Payment recipients who closed their claim since the start of Phase 1 (18th May) and who are currently availing of the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS) has increased to 70,400 compared to 69,600 this time last week, the biggest increase being in the Accommodation and Food Services sector.

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 257,800 employees have closed their claims and returned to 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).

Temporary COVID-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme

There are now over 67,700 employers who have registered with the Revenue Commissioners for the Temporary COVID-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS). Workers whose employers have registered them on the scheme are not eligible to receive a pandemic unemployment payment. In addition workers who were in receipt of the pandemic unemployment payment but who have now been registered by their employers on the TWSS are no longer eligible to receive a pandemic unemployment payment.

COVID-19 Enhanced Illness Benefit Payment

To date 52,600 people under age 66 have been medically certified for receipt of the COVID-19 Enhanced Illness Benefit. Just over 7% (3,925) have been diagnosed with COVID-19 while almost 93% (48,675) were required to medically self-isolate.

Since the beginning of June, however, 161 people have been medically certified with having COVID-19 while 1,639 others have been medically certified because they are medically self-isolating.

The sector with the highest number of employees medically certified to receive COVID-19 Illness Benefit continues to be the Human Health and Social Work sector (11,800) followed by Wholesale and Retail Trade (11,200) and Manufacturing (7,100). Full details are at Appendices 11, 12 and 13.

Currently, there are 780 people receiving a COVID-19 related Illness Benefit payment from the department.

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, or for an individual to confirm their continued eligibility for the payment.

In the interests of the public health advice and the restrictions on movements 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

Appendices follow.


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 - Analysis of Pandemic Unemployment Payments recipients who closed their claim since start of Phase 1 and who are currently receiving the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme Sector breakdown

Appendix 10 – Age Profile of people who closed their Pandemic Unemployment Payment to return to work since 18 May and receiving Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme

Appendix 11 - Enhanced Illness Benefit Payments by County

Appendix 12 - Enhanced Illness Benefit Payments by Sector

Appendix 13 - Enhanced Illness Benefit Payments Age Profile

Appendix 1 - Analysis of Pandemic Unemployment Payments

This week a total of 313,800 people are in receipt of a Pandemic Unemployment Payment, of which 146,500 are female and 167,300 are male.

County Breakdown

County Number of people in receipt of a Pandemic Unemployment Payment on 21 July Number of people in receipt of a Pandemic Unemployment Payment on 14 July Number of people in receipt of Pandemic Unemployment Payment on 5 May
Carlow 3,700 4,100 7,800
Cavan 4,400 4,900 9,700
Clare 7,000 8,000 14,600
Cork 30,600 33,900 61,900
Donegal 10,000 11,400 22,700
Dublin 105,800 114,500 174,200
Galway 17,000 18,800 32,300
Kerry 10,400 12,100 22,200
Kildare 13,900 15,100 26,100
Kilkenny 4,900 5,500 10,600
Laois 4,300 4,700 8,600
Leitrim 2,000 2,200 4,100
Limerick 12,000 13,000 22,300
Longford 2,300 2,500 4,500
Louth 9,500 10,300 17,300
Mayo 7,600 8,600 16,400
Meath 12,500 13,800 25,000
Monaghan 4,000 4,500 8,200
Offaly 4,200 4,700 8,900
Roscommon 3,400 3,800 7,100
Sligo 3,700 4,200 7,700
Tipperary 9,100 10,000 18,800
Waterford 6,800 7,600 14,100
Westmeath 5,700 6,300 11,700
Wexford 8,800 9,900 20,500
Wicklow 9,600 10,600 18,700
County not included 600 600 2,000
Total 313,800 345,600 598,000

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 (70,500), followed by Wholesale and Retail Trade (43,500) and Administrative and Support Service activities (29,600).

The largest weekly drop was in Accommodation and Food Service activities (10,300) followed by Wholesale and Retail Trade, Repair of Motor Vehicles and Motorcycles and the Construction industries falling by 4,200 and 2,500 respectively.

Sector Breakdown

Industrial Sector Number of people in receipt of Pandemic Unemployment Payment on 21 July Number of people in receipt of Pandemic Unemployment Payment on 14 July Number of people in receipt of Pandemic Unemployment Payment on 5 May
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing; Mining and Quarrying 4,500 4,900 8,600
Manufacturing 16,700 18,100 37,400
Electricity, gas supply; Water supply, sewerage and waste management 1,200 1,200 2,100
Construction 27,300 29,800 79,300
Wholesale and Retail Trade; Repair of Motor Vehicles and motorcycles 43,500 47,700 90,300
Transportation and storage 11,600 12,200 17,900
Accommodation and food service activities 70,500 80,800 128,500
Information and communication activities 8,500 8,900 11,800
Financial and insurance activities 7,500 8,100 12,500
Real Estate activities 4,500 4,900 8,100
Professional, Scientific and Technical activities 14,600 15,600 24,800
Administrative and support service activities 29,600 31,200 45,800
Public Administration And Defence; Compulsory Social Security 7,100 7,500 14,400
Education 17,000 17,800 22,000
Human Health And Social Work activities 12,900 13,800 22,500
Arts, entertainment and recreation 8,800 9,800 14,200
Other Sectors 15,800 19,300 39,200
Unclassified or unknown 12,200 14,000 18,600
Total 313,800 345,600 598,000

Appendix 3 – Pandemic Unemployment Payment - Age Profile

Age category Number of people in receipt of Pandemic Unemployment Payment on 21 July Number of people in receipt of Pandemic Unemployment Payment on 14 July
< 25 66,500 74,000
25-34 71,500 79,000
35-44 70,700 78,000
45-54 58,500 64,200
55+ 46,600 50,400
Total 313,800 345,600

Appendix 4 – Pandemic Unemployment Payment Rates breakdown by gender

There are 87,500 people receiving €203 this week, while the remainder (226,300) are receiving a payment of €350.

Gender Number of people in receipt of €350 on 21 July Number of people in receipt of €203 on 21 July
Male 124,300 43,000
Female 102,000 44,500
Total 226,300 87,500

Appendix 5 – Pandemic Unemployment Payment Rates breakdown by age

Age category Number of people in receipt of €350 on 21 July Number of people in receipt of €203 on 21 July
< 25 44,100 22,600
25-34 56,400 15,100
35-44 52,600 18,100
45-54 41,800 16,700
55+ 31,400 15,000
Total 226,300 87,500

Appendix 6 – Analysis of Closed PUP payments to return to Work

Around 21,800 people have closed their account for return to work reasons since 11 July. Of these, 11,200 are male and 10,600 are female.

County Breakdown

County Number of people who closed their Pandemic Unemployment Payment - 21 July Number of people who closed their Pandemic Unemployment Payment - 14 July
Carlow 300 500
Cavan 400 600
Clare 600 1,000
Cork 2,200 3,900
Donegal 800 1,700
Dublin 5,700 9,700
Galway 1,300 2,000
Kerry 1,100 1,800
Kildare 900 1,400
Kilkenny 500 700
Laois 300 500
Leitrim 200 300
Limerick 800 1,200
Longford 200 200
Louth 600 1,100
Mayo 700 1,200
Meath 800 1,400
Monaghan 300 500
Offaly 300 600
Roscommon 300 400
Sligo 300 600
Tipperary 700 1,000
Waterford 500 900
Westmeath 400 700
Wexford 800 1,300
Wicklow 700 1,200
County not included 100 200
Total 21,800 36,600

Appendix 7 – Closed Pandemic Unemployment Payments - Sector Breakdown

The top three sectors from which employees closed their Pandemic Unemployment Payment in the week ending 14 July are Accommodation and Food Service Activities (6,500); Wholesale and Retail Trade, Repair of Motor Vehicles and motorcycles (2,800) and Construction (2,100).

Industrial Sector Number of people who closed their Pandemic Unemployment Payment - 21 July Number of people who closed their Pandemic Unemployment Payment - 14 July
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing; Mining and Quarrying 300 400
Manufacturing 1,200 1,600
Electricity, gas supply; Water supply, sewerage and waste management 100 100
Construction 2,100 2,700
Wholesale and Retail Trade; Repair of Motor Vehicles and motorcycles 2,800 4,200
Transportation and storage 400 600
Accommodation and food service activities 6,500 12,400
Information and communication activities 300 500
Financial and insurance activities 400 700
Real Estate activities 300 500
Professional, Scientific and Technical activities 800 1,100
Administrative and support service activities 1,300 1,900
Public Administration And Defence; Compulsory Social Security 400 600
Education 600 1,000
Human Health And Social Work activities 800 1,100
Arts, entertainment and recreation 800 1,100
Other Sectors 2,000 5,100
Unclassified or unknown 700 1,000
Total 21,800 36,600

Appendix 8 – Closed Pandemic Unemployment Payments – Age Profile

Age category Number of people who closed their Pandemic Unemployment Payment - 21 July Number of people who closed their Pandemic Unemployment Payment - 14 July
< 25 4,800 8,400
25-34 5,000 8,500
35-44 5,200 8,900
45-54 4,000 6,500
55+ 2,800 4,300
Total 21,800 36,600

Appendix 9 - Analysis of Pandemic Unemployment Payments Recipients who closed their claim since start of Phase 1 and who are currently receiving the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS) – Sector Breakdown

Since the start of Phase 1 on 18 May, 70,400 people have closed their claims for the Pandemic Unemployment Payment for reasons of returning to work and whose pay is currently being subsidised under the government's Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS). Of this total 36,400 are female and 34,000 are male.

The top three sectors from which people closed their Pandemic Unemployment Payment who are currently receiving the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme are Accommodation and Food Service Activities (24,700); Wholesale and Retail Trade, Repair of Motor Vehicles and motorcycles (14,000) and Construction (8,300). Details follow.

Sector Breakdown

Industrial Sector Number of people who closed their Pandemic Unemployment Payment for return to work reasons since 18 May and receiving TWSS on 21 July Number of people who closed their Pandemic Unemployment payment for return to work reasons since 18 May and receiving TWSS on 14 July
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing; Mining and Quarrying 400 400
Manufacturing 5,200 5,500
Electricity, gas supply; Water supply, sewerage and waste management 100 100
Construction 8,300 9,300
Wholesale and Retail Trade; Repair of Motor Vehicles and motorcycles 14,000 15,500
Transportation and storage 900 1,000
Accommodation and food service activities 24,700 22,000
Information and communication activities 500 400
Financial and insurance activities 400 400
Real Estate activities 1,000 900
Professional, Scientific and Technical activities 1,700 1,700
Administrative and support service activities 1,900 2,000
Public Administration And Defence; Compulsory Social Security 300 200
Education 800 600
Human Health And Social Work activities 2,100 2,000
Arts, entertainment and recreation 1,700 1,500
Other Sectors 6,300 5,800
Unclassified or unknown 100 300
Total 70,400 69,600

Appendix 10 - Age Profile of people who closed their Pandemic Unemployment Payment to return to work since 18 May and receiving TWSS

Age category Number of people who closed their Pandemic Unemployment Payment for return to work reasons since 18 May and who are in receipt of the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme at 21 July
< 25 15,900
25-34 17,000
35-44 17,700
45-54 12,400
55+ 7,400
Total 70,400

Appendix 11 - Analysis of COVID-19 Enhanced Illness Benefit

There are 52,600 people medically certified for receipt of a COVID-19 related Illness Benefit payment, of whom 29,400 are female and 23,200 are male.

For 1,800 of these, the date of their first certificate was issued after 1st June 2020, of which 161 were certified for COVID-19.

The following Table shows the number of people medically certified for meeting the conditions for receipt of a COVID-19 Enhanced Illness Benefit payment, by start date entered on the medical certificate.

The number of people medically certified with having COVID-19 is given in brackets and is included in the weekly overall figure shown.

Certificate start date 21 July
Before 15/03/2020 3,400 (131)
16/03/2020 - 22/03/2020 13,700 (339)
23/03/2020 - 29/03/2020 10,600 (352)
30/03/2020 - 05/04/2020 6,600 (419)
06/04/2020 - 12/04/2020 3,900 (432)
13/04/2020 - 19/04/2020 2,900 (423)
20/04/2020 - 26/04/2020 2,900 (544)
27/04/2020 - 03/05/2020 2,400 (468)
04/05/2020 - 10/05/2020 1,400 (211)
11/05/2020 - 17/05/2020 1,500 (236)
18/05/2020 - 24/05/2020 900 (96)
25/05/2020 - 31/05/2020 600 (112)
01/06/2020 - 07/06/2020 300 (45)
08/06/2020 - 14/06/2020 200 (34)
15/06/2020 - 21/06/2020 300 (16)
22/06/2020 - 28/06/2020 300(17)
29/06/2020 - 05/07/2020 300(20)
06/07/2020 - 12/07/2020 200(18)
13/07/2020 - 19/07/2020 200(11)
Total 52,600 (3,925)

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 21 July Number of people who are medically certified for receipt of Enhanced Illness Benefit on 14 July
Carlow 700 700
Cavan 1,300 1,300
Clare 1,000 1,000
Cork 6,100 6,000
Donegal 1,200 1,200
Dublin 15,200 15,200
Galway 3,200 3,200
Kerry 1,100 1,100
Kildare 2,500 2,500
Kilkenny 1,100 1,000
Laois 900 900
Leitrim 200 200
Limerick 1,800 1,800
Longford 400 400
Louth 1,600 1,600
Mayo 1,300 1,300
Meath 2,000 2,000
Monaghan 800 800
Offaly 900 900
Roscommon 800 800
Sligo 400 400
Tipperary 1,800 1,800
Waterford 1,600 1,600
Westmeath 900 900
Wexford 1,700 1,600
Wicklow 1,700 1,600
Other (NI & Foreign Address) 400 400
Total 52,600 52,200

Appendix 12 – COVID-19 Enhanced Illness Benefit - Sector Breakdown

The sector with the highest number of people medically certified for receipt of a COVID-19 Illness Benefit payment is Human Health and Social Work (11,800), followed by Wholesale and Retail Trade (11,200) and Manufacturing (7,100).

Sector Breakdown

Industrial Sector Number of people medically certified to receive Enhanced Illness Benefit on 21 July Number of people medically certified to receive Enhanced Illness Benefit on 14 July
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing; Mining and Quarrying 500 500
Manufacturing 7,100 7,000
Electricity, gas, steam supply; Water supply; Sewerage, waste management 300 300
Construction 2,100 2,100
Wholesale and Retail Trade; Repair of Motor Vehicles and motorcycles 11,200 11,000
Transportation and storage 2,100 2,100
Accommodation and food service activities 2,000 2,000
Information and communication activities 900 900
Financial and insurance activities 2,200 2,200
Real Estate activities 400 400
Professional, Scientific and Technical activities 1,700 1,700
Administrative and support service activities 5,200 5,200
Public Administration And Defence; Compulsory Social Security 2,100 2,100
Education 800 800
Human Health And Social Work activities 11,800 11,700
Arts, entertainment and recreation 300 300
Other Sectors 1,500 1,500
Unclassified or unknown 400 400
Total 52,600 52,200

Appendix 13 – Enhanced Illness Benefit - Age Profile

Age category Number of people medically certified to receive Enhanced Illness Benefit on 21 July Number of people medically certified to receive Enhanced Illness Benefit on 14 July
< 25 6,100 6,000
25-34 12,700 12,600
35-44 14,800 14,700
45-54 11,300 11,200
55+ 7,700 7,700
Total 52,600 52,200