63,000 leave Covid payment as Ireland goes back to work
THIS week saw the highest number of people returning to work since the Covid-19 crisis began, latest figures show.
A total of 63,000 people have ceased claiming the pandemic payment.
Around 44,800 are to receive their final payment today, as the number of those relying on the support continues to fall while the country reopens for business.
The largest cohort returning to work are aged 35-44 (13,600), followed by those employees who are aged 25-34 (13,000).
This is followed by 11,500 in the under-25 age group and 9,900 aged 45-54, all of whom are returning to work.
The number of people who received the payment last week fell from around 439,000 to just under 413,000.
With the majority of services back since last Monday, the sector in which the most workers are returning to work this week is the hospitality industry (16,600).
This was followed by hairdressers and barbers (10,700 workers) and wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (5,900), followed by the construction sector (3,500).
Heather Humphreys, Minister for Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands, said: ‘While the Pandemic Unemployment Payment continues to provide financial support to almost 413,000 people who are out of work because of Covid19, the figures published show that the reopening of the economy is picking up pace. Some 63,000 people closed their claim in the last week alone, which is very encouraging. With Phase 3 of the Re-opening Ireland Roadmap under way, an increasing number of businesses are now beginning to start back again.
‘In the last week we have seen the highest number of people return to work in a single week since the crisis commenced.’
As well as those availing of the Covid-19 payment, there are now more than 65,500 employers who have registered with the Revenue Commissioners for the Temporary Covid-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme. An estimated 410,000 employees are currently being supported by the scheme having received a subsidy in their most recent pay period.
The above payments are in addition to the 220,900 people who were reported on the Live Register as of the end of June.
Meanwhile, from today, a two-tier system of the Covid payment will be in effect.
Employees whose average weekly earnings in 2019 or January and February 2020 (whichever is the higher) were less than €200 gross will receive a weekly Pandemic Unemployment Payment of €203 a week. This equates to the standard jobseeker rate of payment and as it is higher than the person’s prior earnings will still mean that people, who receive €203 per week, are in receipt of a higher income than they had prior to being laid off due to Covid-19.
Employees with average earnings of €200 or more a week will continue to receive €350 Pandemic Unemployment Payment. Three in four recipients (75%) will continue to receive €350 per week.
The payment to selfemployed people has been assessed based on their 2018 returns to the Revenue Commissioners (Returns for 2019 are not due until later in 2020). Some 110,400 people, or 25% of those receiving a payment this week, will receive the new rate of payment.
The majority of people (75%) will continue to receive the €350 rate of payment.
news@dailymail.ie
Two-tier system comes into effect