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The government has spent more than 3.3 billion euros on the pandemic unemployment payment scheme since it was launched in mid-March, according to the latest figures from the Department of Labor Affairs and Social Protection.
The number of people receiving the PUP has dropped to 225,000, a decrease of 5,400 compared to last week.
The latest figures represent a decrease of more than 62% from the peak of the crisis in early May, when 598,000 applicants were completely dependent on payment of income assistance.
In the past seven days, 8,100 people have closed their PUP claims and around 4,700 will receive their final payment tomorrow.
Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys noted that government spending of € 3.3 billion on the plan over the past six months was nearly double what was spent on the job search allowance in all of 2019.
Thanking employers and workers in all sectors for their efforts to suppress the coronavirus and rebuild the economy, he acknowledged that this remains “an extremely difficult and challenging time for everyone.”
“We can see from this week’s figures that more people are indicating that they are returning to work. I want this trend to continue in the coming months,” the minister said.
The PUP scheme has been extended until the end of March 2021.
However, on September 17, the maximum rate of € 350 for those who earn more than € 300 per week before payment will drop to € 300.
From that date, those who previously earned between € 200 and € 300 per week will receive € 250, while those who previously earned below € 200 will continue to be entitled to € 203.
On February 1, 2021, the maximum rate will drop to € 250 again, and on April 1, when the PUP program ends, it will reach € 203, the equivalent of the job search benefit.
In addition to the 225,000 people who claim the PUP, another 244,600 people are registered in the Live Registry and request the benefit for job search, while another 365,000 receive wage subsidies from the State through the Temporary Salary Subsidy Program.
However, the TWSS ends tonight and from tomorrow it will be replaced by the Employment Wage Subsidy Plan that will run until the end of March 2021.
The main sectors returning to work this week are accommodation and food services, education, wholesale / retail / repair of motor vehicles, administrative and support services activities and health activities human / social work.
The two largest age cohorts returning to work are 25-34 and 35-44, with 1,400 returning to work in each group.
93,300 people claiming the PUP are now in TWSS-subsidized jobs – an increase from 1,000 in the last week.
The department also reminds PUP recipients that they can also benefit from the return to education grant for full-time second or third level courses.
Meanwhile, a total of 57,350 people under the age of 66 have been medically certified to receive the Covid-19 enhanced illness benefit of € 350.
Of them, about 7.5% were diagnosed with Covid-19, while the rest self-isolated as a precaution.
Currently 1,184 people receive the extended sickness benefit.
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