Press release
Update on payments awarded for COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment and Enhanced Illness Benefit - 19 October 2021
From Department of Social Protection
Published on
Last updated on
This week, the Department of Social Protection issued weekly payments valued at €24.2 million to 93,399 people in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP). This represents a fall of 3,731 compared to last week.
The greatest reduction this week is in the Accommodation and Food Services sector, as it has been for the past 19 weeks.
The PUP figures published this week are in addition to the 162,898 people who were on the Live Register at the end of September.
All COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payments have been paid into recipients’ bank accounts or at their post office on Tuesday, 19 October.
Commenting today, Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys said:
“Today’s reduction in the Pandemic Unemployment Payment figures represents another positive step as we continue to reopen our economy.
“The overall numbers are now 85pc below what they were in May of last year, when the virus was at its peak.
“The fact that we have reduced the overall PUP numbers at a faster rate than previously anticipated demonstrates the success of our vaccination programme and the positive impact of our employment services strategy, ‘Pathways to Work’.
“Today, the government announced our intention to proceed with a further easing of restrictions this Friday.
“We are doing this in a cautious manner given the concerning numbers of COVID-19 cases, which are a reminder of how dangerous the virus is.
“If we continue to adhere to public health guidelines and, importantly, isolate when we display symptoms, I am confident that we can build on the progress we have made as a country over the past 20 months.”
The payment week for the Pandemic Unemployment Payment runs from Friday to Thursday and payments are paid on the following Tuesday. Individuals who have closed their PUP by Monday 18 October, as they have returned to work, will receive their final PUP payment on Tuesday 26 October.
The department continues to remind workers who are returning to work that they must close their claim for the Pandemic Unemployment Payment on the actual date that they start back at work, in order to ensure that their claim is processed correctly and to avoid incurring an overpayment that the department will take steps to recover.
As PUP is paid weekly in arrears people who have closed their claim last week are receiving a final payment this week and are still counted in the numbers in payment for this week. 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 0818 800 024 between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday.
In line with the government’s Economic Recovery Plan, the PUP is gradually changing over a 6 month period from September 2021 until February 2022 to align it with the standard jobseeker’s payments.
The process of moving from the lower €203 rate of PUP to a jobseeker’s payment was due to begin in early September. This has been deferred until after all sectors have started to reopen in line with the Roadmap announced on 31 August and all affected customers will continue to receive their PUP payment until 26 October when the process of their transition to a Jobseeker’s payment will begin.
The department has written to all relevant customers to outline the details of the transition from PUP and the options that will be available to them. It is important that these customers identify the option most suitable to them and those wishing to apply for a Jobseeker’s payment are asked to do so by no later than Thursday, 21 October. If no application is received from such a customer, their final payment of PUP will be made on 26 October.
Two further phases of rate changes are scheduled to take place from 16 November 2021 and 8 February 2022. As PUP recipients go on to the €203 rate in each phase, they will be transitioned to standard jobseeker terms.
The department conducts a series of pre and post payment checks on all PUP claims which include continuing eligibility checks. Subject to these checks being cleared the department then processes payments based on the clients’ self-declaration.
The department runs post payment checks that includes verifying data against Revenue records, examining cases where the same bank account is used multiple times, examining cases where an employer or members of the public report concerns, and the use of data analytics to identify and check claims. It also undertakes employer inspections.
This work is undertaken by the department’s Special Investigation Unit, which includes over 20 Gardaí on secondment to the department.
As business reopens the department’s inspectors continue to conduct control reviews and matching records against employer payroll data from the Revenue Commissioners to help ensure people close their claim as they return to work. To avoid incurring an overpayment people returning to work should close their claim and can do so easily at www.MyWelfare.ie.
Self-employed people in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment who are looking to maintain their business can earn up to €960 over an eight-week period, while retaining their full PUP entitlement.
There is no formal application process and a self-employed person simply needs to inform the department if they earn over €960 in any eight-week period.
The €1,000 Enterprise Support Grant will remain in place for the rest of the year for self-employed people who close their PUP payment. Those who claimed the grant in 2020 but who found themselves back on PUP in 2021, will be able to access the grant for a second time.
The easiest and quickest way to apply for many social welfare payments, including the Enhanced Illness Benefit and Jobseekers’ payments is online at www.MyWelfare.ie. This is a platform which is safe, secure and accessible anytime, anywhere and on all devices. People have the option of applying for social welfare payments such as; Working Family Payment; Maternity Benefit; Paternity Benefit; Child Benefit; and Jobseekers’ payments as well as requesting a statement or a record of social insurance contributions from the department.
The application service to apply for a PPS Number is available at www.MyWelfare.ie for people living in Ireland who are at least 18 years of age and need a PPS Number to avail of social welfare benefits, public services and information in Ireland. To apply for a PPS Number online, a person will need to have a basic MyGovID account.
In the interests of the public health advice and observing social distancing people are asked, if possible, not to attend their local Intreo Centre. Instead, they should avail of the online services available through www.MyWelfare.ie.
Employees or self-employed people who contract the virus or who are medically certified by their doctor to self-isolate are advised to apply for Enhanced Illness Benefit. Unlike the standard Illness Benefit, the Enhanced Illness Benefit is paid from the first day of illness. The quickest and easiest way to apply for Enhanced Illness Benefit is through www.MyWelfare.ie.
This week some 2,031 people are in receipt of an Enhanced Illness Benefit payment, compared with 1,972 last week.
Full details on Enhanced Illness Benefit including sector and county breakdown as well as age profile are at Appendices 7, 8 and 9.
Customers and members of the public are reminded about scam phone calls and text messages they may receive from individuals claiming to be an official of the department.
These calls and texts display a range of numbers, including some which may appear to be from the department’s phone numbers. The department would like to remind all its customers that it will never seek personal information from customers via text message and will never ask a customer for their bank details over the phone.
Any person who receives such a call or text is asked not to disclose any information and to report it to the Gardaí immediately.
