The Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) has reached €4 billion in value of total payouts, including payments that will be made today (Tuesday, November 10).

This week, the Department of Social Protection will issue payments valued at €99 million, up from €95.5 million last week. 342,505 people will receive the payments this week, an increase of 12,500 from last week.

4,105 PUP claimants in the agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining and quarrying sectors will receive the payment today. This is an increase on the 3,911 claimants in these sectors who received the payment last week.

The number of people across all sectors who had been in receipt of the PUP had been steadily decreasing throughout the summer and into the autumn as restrictions from the first Covid-19 lockdown were eased.

However, as ‘Level 5’ restrictions were implemented under the government’s ‘Plan for Living with Covid-19’ late last month – which are similar to the restrictions under the first lockdown, though with some differences – these figures began to rise again as businesses had to close and jobs were lost.

However, the number of people in receipt of the PUP in agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining and quarrying has not yet reached the heights of the first lockdown. On the week of May 5, some 8,600 people across these sectors were in receipt of the payment.

This is also reflected in the overall figures. On the week of May 5, a total of around 598,000 people across the country received the payment, considerably higher than the 342,505 figure for this week.

It remains to be seen if the continuations of Level 5 restrictions for the next three weeks or so, which is the government’s intention, will see a continued increase in the number of payment recipients.

From the very start of Covid-19, agricultural workers, including farmers, were deemed “essential workers” which meant lay-offs and business closures were not as widespread in that sector compared to the economy generally.

The top three economic sectoral groups that will see the largest number of people receive the payment today are: administrative and support service activities (28,664 recipients); wholesale, retail and motor vehicle repair (55,516 recipients); and accommodation and food services (100,994 recipients).

Despite the increase in overall payment figures, some 3,700 people have closed their PUP claim in the last seven days, 2,319 of whom told the Department of Social Protection that they did so because they are returning to work.

Commenting on the Covid-19 situation, Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys said: “I know so many people have made huge sacrifices as they continue to heed the advice of the National Public Health Emergency Team [NPHET].

“But the fall in the number of Covid-19 cases in recent days is encouraging and gives cause for optimism ahead of the upcoming Christmas period. Let’s all keep going together. We brought this virus under control before. It is within our gift to do so again,” she added.

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