The final instalment of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment is to be issued today to the 44,747 remaining claimants on the scheme.
The PUP was originally introduced in March 2020 to support employees and self-employed workers who had lost their jobs as a result of the pandemic. The scheme was originally intended to be a six-week, short term measure but was extended a number of times.
According to the Independent, there were 239,580 people in receipt of the PUP in the first week of the scheme (week ending 22 March 2020). Substantial increases over the next two weeks followed, bringing the number of recipients up to 605,539 for the week ending 03 May 2020.
According to RTÉ News, the cost of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment over the past two years has been €9 billion.
The payment originally provided claimants with €350 per week, but was then restructured to reflect each recipients previous earnings. Later, it was reduced to €208 as parts of society began to reopen.
It closed for new recipients in January, with the remaining claimants earning their final payment today. The remaining recipients will transition to jobseekers’ payment, if they are deemed eligible.
Header image via Shutterstock
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