The number of people in the agriculture; forestry and fishing; and mining and quarrying sectors claiming the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) remains unchanged, according to the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection.

Some 8,600 people across these sectors will receive the €350/week payment into their bank accounts tomorrow, Tuesday, May 19.

This group of sectors continues to have the third-lowest level of workers claiming the payment. Only the electricity; gas supply; water supply; and sewerage and waste management sectors (around 2,000); and the real estate sector (around 8,100) have less workers receiving the payment. These figures are also unchanged from last week.

Meanwhile, the sectors with the highest level of claimants are: accommodation and food services (around 124,500); wholesale, retail and repair of motor vehicles (around 87,600); and construction (around 76,600). All three of these figures are down on last week, likely due to the onset of the Government’s plan for reopening businesses, which begin today, Monday, May 18.

A total of around 585,000 people will receive the payment tomorrow, which is a reduction of 5,000 on last week. However, this week’s figure also includes 7,000 people receiving the payment for the first time.

Closing claims

People returning to work from today are being reminded to close their claim for the PUP when they start back.

The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection issued a statement last week advising workers who may be returning to work today to close their claim “to make sure that they will not lose out in getting their payment for this week”, which is due tomorrow.

Similarly, workers who will be returning to work any time after today are asked to close their claim for the PUP on the actual day they start back at work.

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