Number receiving pandemic unemployment payment rises by 7,500

The number of people receiving the Government’s pandemic unemployment payment (PUP) has increased by 7,500 over the last week to 350,000.

The Department of Social Protection said on Monday that the 350,072 people currently receiving the payment were in addition to the 203,172 reported as being on the Live Register as of the end of October.

Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys said that while the number of people receiving the payment had increased again this week, it was " heartening to see the rate of increase reduce".

“The overall number is also much smaller than during the first period of Level 5 restrictions in March and April,” she said.

Covid-19: Taoiseach says mass vaccinations unlikely before mid-2021

---

Covid-19: Government to ban takeaway pints for remainder of lockdown

---

Qantas set to emerge from pandemic stronger, airline chief says

---

Philip Green’s Arcadia fashion retail empire battles lockdown

---

“This reflects the fact that a wider range of sectors have been able to continue trading, such as in construction and manufacturing.

“However, the number of people in receipt of pandemic unemployment payments remains high, demonstrating why it was so important to keep pandemic unemployment payments open to new entrants.”

Ms Humphreys said she wanted to remind those who were self-employed that they could earn up to €480 per month and continue to claim pandemic unemployment payments.

The Minister also said that under new regulations announced recently, the reference period used to assess a person’s PUP entitlement based on their prior earnings has been extended to the end of September last. She said this and other measures introduced would result in some 37,400 PUP recipients receiving an increase in their payments.

“A person’s prior weekly earnings will now be assessed based on 2019, January to February 2020 and January to September 2020. In order to be as fair as possible to people, the pandemic unemployment payment payment rate will be set by reference to the highest of these three amounts,” she said.

Different rates

There are currently four rates of PUP available:

– Those with prior gross weekly earnings below €200 receive a rate of €203 per week;

– Those with prior gross weekly earnings of €200 to €299.99 receive €250 per week;

– Those with prior gross weekly earnings of €300 to €399.99 receive €300 per week, and

– Those with prior gross weekly earnings of €400 or more receive a rate of €350 per week.

The Department of Social Protection said the number of people receiving the maximum payment rate of €350 this week is 160,115, some 46 per cent of the total number of recipients. It said 18 per cent of claimants were receiving the €300 rate, 18 per cent were receiving the €250 rate and 18 per cent were receiving the €203 rate.