More than 1.6 million to receive the Christmas bonus this week, as those who receive Covid PUP slightly decrease

The DEPARTMENT of Social Protection has issued the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) to 348,256 people this week.

There are 3,168 fewer people in the PUP this week compared to last week, and the cost has dropped from € 103.65 million to € 102.67 million.

The sectors with the highest number of people receiving pandemic unemployment payment have not changed since Level 5 restrictions were relaxed: accommodation and food service activities (101,335) followed by wholesale and retail trade (55,173) and others sectors, for example, hairdressers and beauty salons (31,008).

The figures for this week add to the 194,058 unemployed who are in the Live Registry at the end of November.

All issued Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payments will be in beneficiaries’ bank accounts or their local post office tomorrow.

Back to work

In the past seven days, some 28,682 people closed their PUP claim, and 25,350 claimed they were doing so because they are returning to work.

Many more people are expected to return to work in the next week; almost two thirds of them are women (16,876).

The main sectors in which employees closed their Pandemic Unemployment Pay to Return to Work are Wholesale and retail trade (7,298), Other sectors, for example, hairdressers and beauty salons (6,635), Accommodation activities and food services (3,968) and administrative and support services activities. (1,077).

Dublin had the highest number of people closing their claims (6,441), followed by Cork (3,265), Galway (1,458), Kildare (1,244) and Wexford (1,019).

Christmas bonus pay

In addition, this week, just over 283,000 PUP recipients will receive the Christmas Bonus payment for a total of 83.14 million euros.

The Christmas bonus payment (the payment of an additional week) is normally made to people who receive long-term welfare payments and who are entitled to a normal payment with respect to the week the bonus is paid.

People who are unemployed for less than 12 months usually do not receive this payment. As an exceptional measure this year, the bonus payment will be made to individuals who receive a PUP or a job applicant payment for at least 4 months (17 weeks).

Social Protection Minister Humphreys said: “This week, the Christmas Bonus will be paid to more than 1.6 million recipients of social assistance, with payments totaling 390 million euros. This includes € 83 million that is being paid only to people receiving PUP payments.

“In total, the Department has paid more than 500 million euros in the form of Christmas bonus and PUP arrears.

“I am again encouraging people to spend this money locally. In that way, he is helping his local economy and supporting small businesses. “

The Covid payment will be available until March of next year.