€36m paid in Covid-19 illness benefit

An enhanced illness benefit has been paid to almost 52,000 people this year. File picture

Almost 52,000 people had received an enhanced illness benefit payment already this year because of Covid-19, costing the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection more than €36m.

The department outlined the scale of additional expenses already required because of the coronavirus pandemic, with the possibility that some people experiencing 'long' Covid may need additional welfare supports into the future.