More than 340,000 receive pandemic unemployment pay this week, as total spending on the plan exceeds 4 billion euros.

THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL PROTECTION has made payments of 99 million euros to 342,500 beneficiaries of the Pay for Pandemic Unemployment (PUP) this week.

Spending this week, up from 95.5 million euros last week, brings PUP spending to date to 4 billion euros.

The number of beneficiaries of the plan increased by 12,500 last week and the Minister of Social Protection, Heather Humphreys, said that “the increase was anticipated and reflects the impact of moving to level 5 restrictions.”

The sector with the highest number of people receiving a PUP this week is the accommodation and catering activities with 100,994 beneficiaries.

It is followed by wholesale and retail trade (55,516 recipients) and other sectors such as hairdressers and beauty salons (30,141).

When the government introduced Level 5 restrictions, which included the closure of pubs, restaurants, and nonessential retail stores, it reinstated the highest PUP rate.

This means that those with gross weekly earnings of € 400 or more receive a rate of € 350 per week.

Minister Humphreys said she was aware that people were “making great sacrifices” while continuing to heed public health advice.

She added: “But the drop in the number of Covid-19 cases in recent days is encouraging and gives reason for optimism ahead of the next Christmas period. Let’s all continue together. We brought this virus under control before. It is within our gift to do it again. “

In a statement tonight, the department also said regulations that will extend the 2020 earnings benchmark period for employees through September 2020 are currently being finalized.

The department said: “This will mean that people who only started working after February 2020 but who have now been laid off due to tighter restrictions may have their pay rate fixed in reference to their earnings in the period from March to September. 2020.

“The regulations will also state that individuals who may have been employed prior to February 2020 but whose earnings have been reduced in the period since February may still have their PUP pay rate set in reference to their previous and higher earnings.”