Almost 10,000 fewer people to receive PUP this week

The Department of Social Protection says this week's payments will cost the state €65.5 million.

Around 210,000 people will be paid the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) tomorrow.

The figures are down almost 10,000 on last week.

The Department of Social Protection says this week's payments will cost the state €65.5 million.

A three-tier system comes into effect from Thursday with PUP recipients set to see the impact of this from next week's payment on.

From September 17, the rate a recipient will receive will depend on the amount they previously earned:

• if they earned over €300 (gross) per week - they will now receive €300 per week.
• if they earned between €200 and €300 (gross) per week - the rate of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment will now be €250 per week; 
• and if they earned less than €200 (gross) per week - the rate of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment will be €203 per week (there is no change to this rate).

The sector with the largest number of employees returning to work is the Accommodation and Food Service industry with 1,304 people returning to work.

As schools and third-level institutions have begun opening back up, the Education sector saw 1,091 employees return to work in the past week.

Commenting today, Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys said: “While this week’s decrease is encouraging, it is evident to all of us that Covid-19 continues to be active and can re-surface in our communities without warning.

“As more businesses prepare to re-open and schools and colleges return, it is now vital more than ever that we take every possible precaution to protect ourselves, our families and our work colleagues.

“The Government, under the advice of NPHET, is currently finalising the new Roadmap Plan which will be published tomorrow. For the Roadmap to work as effectively as possible, we all must carry out our daily lives as if the virus is among us.

“We owe these efforts to all those frontline workers who, for many months now, have put their own lives on the line so that can tackle this awful virus."