Cheat claimed over €55,000 in pandemic payments

GARDAÍ have arrested a Pandemic Unemployment Payment cheat who drew down more than €55,000 by making 25 separate online claims.

The individual made the claims using nine different bank accounts.

Seven of the accounts were opened in March when the Government first introduced the payment for people who lost their jobs due to the Covid19 lockdown.

During a search of a property, gardaí found a notebook containing the details of the bank accounts used and the payments collected.

The individual was arrested by gardaí for deception under Section 6 of the Criminal Justice Act.

There have been concerns about people continuing to claim the €350 weekly payment after returning to work.

There are plans to reduce the number of people claiming the payment as part of the Government’s soon to be announced economic stimulus package.

It is considering extending the wage subsidy scheme to businesses who employ people on the pandemic unemployment scheme. The wage subsidy scheme is currently available only to people who were employed before the pandemic hit.

A PANDEMIC unemployment payment cheat drew down more than €55,000 by making 25 separate online claims.

Gardaí arrested the individual who made the claims using nine different bank accounts.

Seven were opened in March when the Government first introduced the payment for individuals who had lost their jobs due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

During a search of a property gardaí found a notebook containing the details of the bank accounts used and the payments collected.

The individual was arrested by Special Investigation Unit (SIU) gardaí for deception under Section Six of the Criminal Justice Act.

There have been concerns in government about people continuing to claim the €350-a-week payment after they have retuned to work.

There are also plans to reduce the number of people claiming the payment as part of the Government’s soon to be announced economic stimulus package.

They are considering extending the wage subsidy scheme to businesses who employ people who are on the pandemic unemployment scheme.

The wage subsidy scheme is currently only available to people who were employed before the pandemic.

This week, people who worked part-time before the coronavirus will see their weekly payment fall to €203, in line with the jobseeker’s welfare allowance.

The cut was announced in June and came into effect last Monday but, as the payment is paid in arrears, recipients will only notice the difference in their bank accounts from tomorrow.

For anyone earning €200 per week or higher before the coronavirus outbreak, the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) rate will remain at €350 per week.

But those who were earning less than €200 before the pandemic will have their payment reduced to €203.

A Department of Social Protection spokesperson said: “No person on the lower rate of payment will receive less on PUP than they were previously paid by their employer.”

Last Monday, there were 439,000 people in receipt of the pandemic payment.

This represented a decrease of 26,900 on the 465,900 people who had been paid the previous week.

Since the peak of the payment in early May, the number of people receiving it who were working in construction has dropped by 55pc, while in manufacturing it fell 42pc and 37pc in the wholesale and retail sector.

The largest cohort of those returning to work last week were those aged 35-44, at 5,100; followed by employees aged 25-34, at 4,500.

This is followed by 3,900 in the 45-54 age category, and 3,800 more under age 25, all returning to work.

After her appointment, Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys said she welcomed the continuing fall in the numbers of people who are depending on the PUP.

She added that she was looking forward to working closely with the officials in her department.

Claims were made using nine different bank accounts