According to the latest update on the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP), over €8 billion has been paid out so far to those whose jobs were affected by Covid-19.
This week, the Department of Social Protection issued weekly payments of €78.9 million to 267,371 people - which marked a decrease of 17,894 people compared to last week.
As the economy continues to reopen slowly, more and more people are returning to work, and so plans are in motion to gradually cease the PUP.
Dublin remains the county with the highest number of people who are receiving payment this week at 93,036 and is followed by Cork (25,242) and Galway (14,683).
The PUP will remain open to new entrants up to June 30, 2021, but from July 1, 2021, it will be closed to new applications and individuals.
Anyone who loses their job from July 1 can apply for a jobseeker’s payment or another welfare payment.
Here are the details of all PUP end dates:
If you are getting the COVID-19 PUP at a rate of €203 per week, you will be kept on this rate of payment until September 7 - then you will transfer to the standard jobseekers’ terms.
If you are on a rate of €250 per week, you will stay on the same rate of payment until September 7 - when your rate of payment will change to €203 on September 14.
Then, you will transfer to the standard jobseekers’ terms from mid-November.
If you are getting €300 per week, you will stay on the same rate of payment until September 7, and will then change to €250 on September 14 and €203 in mid-November.
Once you reach the €203 rate in November, you will transfer to the standard jobseekers’ terms.
If you are at a rate of €350 per week, You will stay on the same rate of payment until September 7, but then your rate of payment will change to €300 on 14 September and €250 in mid-November.
In early February 2022, your rate of payment will then change to €203, when you will transfer to the standard jobseekers’ terms.
The PUP will cease for full-time students in line with the start of the 2021/2022 academic year.
The last payment to students will be issued on September 7, 2021.
This is due to the fact that, as colleges and universities reopen, students will no longer be available to take up full-time employment and would not under normal circumstances qualify for an unemployment payment while at college.
