10,000 on PUP as Level 5 hits homes

MORE than 10,000 people are on the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) following a 2,500 surge in claimants between Christmas week and last Tuesday.

Last week, the Department of Social Protection issued weekly payments valued at €99.06 million to 335,599 people in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) across the country following the closure of non essential businesses on Christmas Eve.

The number of people receiving a PUP last week represents an increase of 57,928 on the 277,671 people paid on Tuesday, December 22.

The sector with the highest number of people in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment is Accommodation and Food Service Activities (97,798) followed by Wholesale and Retail Trade (46,853) and Other Sectors e.g. hairdressing and beauty salons (30,221).

These figures are in addition to the 194,058 people who were reported on the Live Register as of the end of November.

In the period from December 18 to Christmas Eve, the Department processed some 23,000 PUP applications for workers who were laid off between those dates. Those eligible received their first payment over the Christmas period.

Anyone who was made unemployed between Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve and who is eligible for PUP received their payment last Tuesday.

In Co Wexford 10,202 people were eligible for PUP on Tuesday compared to 7,830 on December 22 and 20,500 on May 5.

Meanwhile 3,390 people are on Covid Enhanced Illness Benefit payment.