Inspectors investigate pubs and restaurants to ensure staff are not claiming PUPs

The Department of Social Protection was asked to visit hospitality businesses during Christmas week to ensure that the staff had signed the Pandemic Unemployment Payment.

An internal email, seen by the Irish Examiner and dated December 16, it details that the chief officer of the department’s Special Investigation Unit (SIU) was asked to “carry out a small number of inspections in open pubs, cafes and restaurants in the coming days to ensure that employees have signed any paid SW – including PUP “.

“There is a particular concern that not all PUP recipients will close their claims upon returning to work,” the email states.

“Obviously, these inspections must be carried out in accordance with the requirements of Covid-19 and the hours of the day they are carried out must be taken into account.

“If possible, EE52 [a welfare form used by employers] etc. must be taken. If necessary, all SIU resources, SIU HEO [Higher Executive Officers] EO [Executive Officers] and Gardaí can be used if available.

At the beginning of the New Year, we can discuss more inspections of publicly funded construction sites. “

The Department of Social Protection said it did not comment on particular investigation / inspection projects.

A spokesperson said: “Workplace inspections are a normal part of the monitoring activity, both to identify any cases in which a person may be working and at the same time incorrectly claim a welfare payment and, what more importantly, to ensure that employers classify workers correctly in the social security system and remit their contributions to social security. ”

The spokesperson said that workplace inspections were administered and reviewed on an ongoing basis with regard to public health restrictions “and in accordance with the guidance set forth in the Government’s Living with Covid Plan.”

“Every effort will be made to carry out inspections of the employer’s site without affecting the daily operation of the businesses at this busy time,” they added.
The department has made it clear in its communications that returning workers must close their PUP claim. “

The weekly payments of the Unemployment Pandemic Pay are valued at about 90 million euros to more than 306,000 people who receive PUP.

The accommodation and food services sector accounts for the largest number of people receiving payment (almost 90,000), just under a third of all PUP recipients.

The government has ordered that bars and restaurants close at 3 pm on Christmas Eve.