A major Government announcement is to be made in the next 10 days about the future of a number of social welfare payments - with the Pandemic Unemployment Payment set to be extended once more.
Over €102 million in Pandemic Unemployment Payments (PUP) were paid this week while almost 26,000 people closed their account after they returned to work
333,993 people received the PUP this week which represents a decrease of 29,174 people compared to last week.
Elsewhere, 9,000 people will receive an arrears payment of PUP that amounts to over €3.7 million in total.
But there had been concerns about the potential end of the support system.
However, hopes have been raised by Leo Varadkar that Covid wage supports could continue until October.
The Fine Gael leader was speaking candidly at a private Fine Gael Parliamentary Party meeting when he revealed that payments could extend into the fourth quarter of this year.
This would indicate that payments like the PUP and CRSS (Covid Recovery Supports Scheme) will last past September.
Mr Varadkar reiterated again that there would be “no cliff edge” at the end of June when payments are currently scheduled to finish.
One TD told the Irish Mirror that he said: “we will help people in business, and we’ll give them a chance by phasing that out at the end of Quarter Three.”
Sources at the meeting said that what Mr Varadkar meant by this is that supports will continue until the end of September.
However, no decisions have been made at Cabinet yet and it will be discussed at subcommittees dealing with Covid business supports.
Mr Varadkar also said that following next Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting, on June 1, it’s likely an announcement will be made on the future of financial supports such as the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) and the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS).
