Almost 965,000 people are on welfare support a year after the onset of the Covid crisis      

The number requiring a pandemic payment or subsidy plus those on the live register is down from 1.2m in the first lockdown

Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys, whose department released the figures showing 964,000 people on welfare support. Picture: Julien Behal/PA

Almost 965,000 people are relying on some sort of welfare from the Government this week because their job has been shut down, lost altogether, or being subsidised, a year after the onset of the Covid crisis, new Government figures show. 

There were 465,000 people needing a pandemic unemployment payment (PUP) to make ends meet this week, Department of Social Protection figures show, down by 4,000 from last week.