Number on pandemic unemployment payment increases by 23,265

The number of people receiving the pandemic unemployment payment has increased by 23,265 over the last week following the extension of Level 3 restrictions across the country.

The number of people receiving the benefit now stands at 228,858, the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection said on Monday.

The new figures show that the number of people receiving the Government’s pandemic unemployment payment increased in every part of the country over the past week.

In Cork, the numbers receiving the payment increased over the past week from 16,995 to 20,566.

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In Kerry the numbers receiving the benefit increased from 5,769 on October 6th to 7,630 this week.

According to the new figures in Galway the number of people receiving payments under the scheme increased also by around 2,000 to 11,578 this week.

In Limerick there are 8,300 people receiving the payment this week compared with 7,122 on October 6th.

Overall the number of people in the accommodation and food service sector receiving the pandemic unemployment payment increased by 18,249 since last week.

There are now 69,535 people in this sector are currently receiving the pandemic unemployment payment.

The Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys said over €61 million would be paid out in pandemic unemployment payments this week which would support almost 229,000 people.

“The increase in the number of recipients reflects the seriousness of the impact of the pandemic on the economic life of the country. “

“I know it has been difficult for many businesses particularly in the hospitality sector who have been impacted by Level 3 restrictions.”

“My priority is ensuring that we get payments to impacted workers quickly, this is the very reason Government has kept the pandemic unemployment payment (scheme) open for applications. Over 95 per cent of people who applied for the pandemic unemployment payment this week did so online. This meant that it was possible to process the claims immediately and issue payments without delay. “

The 228,858 people receiving the pandemic unemployment payment are in addition to the 211,492 people who were reported on the Live Register as of the end of September .

The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection said that while there was an increase of 23,265 in the number of people receiving the pandemic unemployment payment in the last week, during the same period 4,931 people closed their claim for the benefit to return to work.