Pandemic Unemployment Payment

A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC

<p>The Department of Social Protection, with a budget last year of over €23bn, has a presence in every corner of the country and keeping its books balanced is clearly a mammoth challenge. Picture: Denis Minihane</p>

ourview

Irish Examiner view: We all suffer in abuse of system

Social Protection ‘overspend’

<p>Of the overpayments made by the Department of Social Protection last year, some €19.6m related to suspected fraud and over €69m was attributed to customer error. Picture: Denis Minihane</p>

news

More than €111m overpaid by Department of Social Protection

<p>The Department of Health meanwhile saw its expenditure on testing and tracing for Covid increase markedly from €359m to €664m in the second year of the pandemic. Picture: Stephen Collins/Collins Photos</p>

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State spent €12.4bn on Covid-19 measures in last full year of restrictions

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'Significant incidence' of PUP overpayments, welfare review finds

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More than €46m in welfare payments recouped

court and crime

Gambling addict admits claiming pandemic payment while working in Cork bookies

Covid payments allowed users to increase their drug use

Increased consumption as people turned to alcohol and drugs to cope with isolation

Thu, 02 Jun, 2022

Laura Bambrick: PUP was an extraordinary payment that served us well in extraordinary times

The remaining 45,000 recipients of the pandemic unemployment payment will transfer over to the ordinary jobseeker’s benefit

Tue, 29 Mar, 2022

Full restoration of wage subsidy scheme needed to navigate new restrictions, says Ibec

The Pandemic Unemployment Payment has returned with five rates, with those on €350-€400 receiving €300 and a lower €150 rate for those who had been earning less than €151

Mon, 06 Dec, 2021

Christmas social welfare bonus to be paid to 1.4m next week

Long-term recipients of the PUP will also receive the bonus

Wed, 01 Dec, 2021

Accused in Cork arranged to launder €1m with Nigerian crime gang boss 'The Chairman'

The underlying offence of conspiracy to commit money-laundering carries a maximum sentence of 14 years

Mon, 01 Nov, 2021

Tom Creed — from thriving career to 36 weeks on the PUP

In a successful career spanning 20 years directing theatre and opera, the Corkman suddenly found himself relying on welfare payments for rent. Although the arts sector is now recovering, he says we must learn lessons in how we regard and pay artists.

Tue, 12 Oct, 2021

Thousands could have claimed PUP payments without proving lost income

A number of checks were carried out in July 2020, March 2021 and July 2021, which resulted in tens of thousands of claims being stopped

Thu, 30 Sep, 2021

Tourism sector says PUP payments have driven up wage expectations

A survey of almost 600 employers, including almost 140 hotels, shows a large majority of businesses in the tourism sector are experiencing major recruitment challenges.

Sun, 26 Sep, 2021

Gardaí withdraw PUP theft charges against man in Cork

A number of legal challenges regarding the stopping of the €350 PUP have been heard in the High Court this year

Thu, 16 Sep, 2021

Jim Power: Covid will leave its mark on employment for years to come

Strong wage subsidy support suggests many businesses will struggle to maintain employment levels in the absence of the state financial supports

Sun, 11 Jul, 2021

Majority of appeals successful in overturning PUP decisions

Most appeals relate to the PUP rate of payment or whether the loss of employment was due to Covid-19 restrictions

Fri, 11 Jun, 2021

Q&A: Where will the €4bn National Recovery Plan funding be spent?

The government borrowed three-quarters of the €4bn, with the rest coming from the EU

Wed, 02 Jun, 2021

Taoiseach confirms plans to phase out PUP from September

Announcing the Government National Economic Recovery Plan, Micheál Martin said the pandemic had a 'swift and unprecedented' impact, the largest outside the world wars

Tue, 01 Jun, 2021

PUP numbers start to fall sharply but 363,000 people still require payments

Number of people on Pandemic Unemployment Payment fell by 13,000 as sectors of the economy started to open this week

Tue, 18 May, 2021

ESRI: Any review of PUP payments 'best left until the autumn'

Isme calls for "solidarity tax" on Paye workers earning over €100,000 to help pay for new business supports

Mon, 17 May, 2021

Gardaí investigating PUP fraud arrest second man in Cork

The man, who is aged 35, was arrested in the Midleton area this morning

Tue, 09 Mar, 2021

Sudden end of Covid-19 business supports would create economic shock, says Finance Minister

Paschal Donohoe said this meant the wage subsidy scheme would not 'simply end' in June when it is due to expire

Thu, 25 Feb, 2021

EU national who travelled home challenges State's decision to stop PUP payments

In May, she travelled to Romania to help care for her elderly father, whose care centre had closed.

Mon, 08 Feb, 2021

File Photo PEOPLE ARE BEING warned to be alert against a phishing scam involving fraudulent emails and texts

Help-to-buy applicants won't be penalised for taxes owed on Covid support payments

Thousands of workers are to be hit with tax bills having received payments on Covid support schemes – but Revenue says this will not be a factor in assessing help-to-buy applications

Tue, 12 Jan, 2021

Large parts of economy back on PUP as building sites shut again

More than 398,200 people required pandemic unemployment payment this week, including seven out of ten people in accommodation and food service and one in five building workers

Mon, 11 Jan, 2021

Minister urges people to apply for January Pandemic Unemployment Payments as soon as possible

The Department says anyone made unemployed from today, and who applies by 5pm on December 31, will be able to receive a PUP payment by January 5

Wed, 30 Dec, 2020

Gangs target Covid payments: Man arrested for 70 fake PUP applications worth €165k

Gardaí suspect there are other cases of gangs defrauding the State of Covid unemployment payments after arresting a key target in Cork.

Wed, 09 Dec, 2020

Gardaí conduct searches over alleged fraud relating to PUP

Twenty-eight individuals were identified as being active participants in the alleged fraud connected to the payment

Wed, 02 Dec, 2020

Today's Cabinet agenda: Bigger budgets for health and education, greater garda powers

Enforcement powers for gardaí to make pubs, restaurants, and other licenced premises comply with Covid restrictions are to be extended today until June.

Mon, 02 Nov, 2020

Government considering restoring PUP to previous amount, minister says

The government is considering restoring the pandemic unemployment payment to its previous amount, according to Thomas Byrne.

Mon, 19 Oct, 2020

Government mulls full pandemic payments for hospitality sector

'We'll lose a whole sector if we don't plan for the next six months in the budget,' said Labour leader Alan Kelly

Wed, 30 Sep, 2020

Cutting PUP while increasing TDs' wages 'tone-deaf', says Pearse Doherty

Sinn Féin’s finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty has described the increase in wages for TDs as “tone deaf” at a time when the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) was being reduced.

Wed, 23 Sep, 2020

Government risks 'losing the dressing room' if PUP not restored to €350 a week

'Now is not the time to be cutting supports,' says Mary Lou McDonald

Tue, 22 Sep, 2020

Ban on evictions unlikely to be renewed as eight counties face more restrictions

Eight counties could see increased restrictions imposed as Covid-19 cases rise

Tue, 22 Sep, 2020

Pandemic unemployment payment likely to be extended as Covid cases rise

New rates of PUP could continue past April, when they are due to be phased out entirely

Mon, 21 Sep, 2020

More than €3bn paid out in Pandemic Unemployment Payments since March

Some 274,600 people received the payment last week, with an overall weekly payment of €85m, with over €3bn has been paid out overall since the payment began in March.

Thu, 06 Aug, 2020