Department identifies 60,000 cases of overpayment of covid unemployment benefit 

The Department of Social Protection has saved €501m from cancelling means-tested welfare payments following case reviews. File picture: Denis Minihane

The Department of Social Protection has ‘cross-checked’ 30 million pandemic unemployment payments (PUP) against Revenue records in a bid to recover overpayments issued over the course of covid-19 restrictions.

To date, the department has identified up to 60,000 cases where there was an overlap between receiving the PUP and a period of employment. However, as of last December just €13 million of the €55.5 million issued in overpayments had been recovered by the department.