PUP claimant had not worked in 15 years

The Department of Social Protection said it has audited a random sample of 100 claims made in the early months of the pandemic. 

An applicant for the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) at the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis received several thousand euro despite not having worked in the previous 15 years.

The claimant, who listed their last day worked as March 6, 2020, and received just under €3,000 despite official data showing no record of employment since 2005, is one of several false claimants detailed in an internal Department of Social Protection report.