Number of people receiving PUP falls by over half million since peak of crisis

The number of the people receiving the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) has fallen by over half million or 87 per cent since the peak of the crisis.

Central Statistics Office (CSO) figures show there were 77,806 workers in receipt of the payment at the end of last month, down from 605,671 in the first week of May last year.

This corresponds to a fall of 527,865 or 87 per cent when compared to peak.

The PUP was paid at a weekly rate of €350 initially but was reduced in September and will be tapered to align it with the standard jobseekers’ payments by February.

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The CSO figures show PUP claimants have fallen by at least 80 per cent across all 166 Local Electoral Areas (LEAs) when compared to peak.

“These large decreases reflect a continued reopening of society and an end to adding new entrants to the PUP scheme,” the CSO said.

The total number of people (cumulatively) who were in receipt of the PUP for at least one week between March, 2020 and the end of last month was 871,476.

The LEA that registered the biggest number of recipients over the course of the pandemic was Dublin's North Inner City with 21,700. The area with the lowest claimants was Lismore in Waterford (1,591).

Recipients

The 20 LEAs with the highest number of PUP recipients during the most recent period were in Dublin.

The Blanchardstown-Mulhuddart area in Fingal had the lowest percentage decrease in PUP recipients from its peak (down by 80.4 per cent).

Thurles in Tipperary had the largest percentage decrease in PUP recipients from its peak (down by 93.2 per cent) followed by Roscrea-Templemore, Tipperary (down by 92.4 per cent), Adare-Rathkeale, Limerick (down by 92.4 per cent) and Carndonagh, Donegal (down by 92.3 per cent).

A total of €17.5 billion has been paid out to date to individuals, households and businesses under the PUP, the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS) and the Covid Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS), according to the Government.