Half a million people still claiming income support from Government

During the last week of August, 224,956 people were on pandemic unemployment payment (PUP) and 359,095 people were on the wage subsidy scheme. File picture: Pexels

The incomes of over half a million people were still being supported by the Government by the end of August, despite the easing of restrictions and re-opening of workplaces, according to new figures from the CSO and the Department of Social Protection. 

This week, 219,900 people will receive the pandemic unemployment payment (PUP), with the Department paying out €68.6m in total.

This represents a decrease of 5,100 from the 225,000 people who were paid PUP last week.

According to CSO figures, 359,095 people were on the wage subsidy scheme (TWSS) during the last week of August.

This means over half a million people were receiving some sort of income support from the Government. 

According to the Department of Social Protection, this week's PUP figures represent a drop of over 63% when compared to the peak of the lockdown, with 598,000 people receiving PUP on May 5.

In the past seven days, 9,265 people have closed their PUP claim, and 6,256 will be receiving their final payment on September 8.

The sectors which saw the most employees returning to work were education, with 1,500 people going back to work, followed by accommodation and food services and transportation and storage sectors.

The largest age cohort returning to work is in the 45-54 group, with 1,800 people in this age group heading back to work. 1,700 people in the 35-44 age group returned to work and 1,600 people aged 55 and over returned to work.

CSO figures stated that there were 359,095 people benefiting from the wage subsidy scheme in August, with 189,859 males and 169,236 females representing 52.9% and 47.1% of the total respectively. 

Of those on the wage subsidy scheme, 60,504 (16.8%) were under 25 years of age, while 298,591 (83.2%) are 25 years of age and over.

Live Register for August 2020 and COVID-19 Income Support Payment Measureshttps://t.co/tqgHyUhbat #CSOIreland #Ireland #LabourForceSurvey #LabourForce #Households #Families #IrishFamilies #IrishHouseholds #LabourMarket #LiveRegister #Jobs #Employment #Unemployment pic.twitter.com/yZ2T7Z0w6k

— Central Statistics Office Ireland (@CSOIreland) September 7, 2020

The CSO's unadjusted live register total for August was 225,844 people. 

There were 122,503 men on the live register, which meant men represented over half of those on the register.

There were 103,341 women in the register, which represented 45.8%. 

Almost 14% of those on the register were under 25, with 31,364 young people recorded on the register. 

However, the vast majority were older, with 194,480 (86.1%) being 25 or older.

On an adjusted basis, the number of male and female claimants on the Live Register were 118,900 and 94,800 respectively, representing 55.6% and 44.4% of the seasonally adjusted Live Register.

The Live Register also includes part-time workers, such as those who work up to three days a week, seasonal and casual workers entitled to Jobseeker’s Benefit or Jobseeker’s Allowance.

Originally, the PUP and the TWSS were set to cease in August. However, the Government has indicated that the PUP is expected to continue into 2021, while the TWSS was replaced by the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme on September 1.