Warning issued to thousands of people receiving Pandemic Unemployment Payment

Thousands of people on the Pandemic Unemployment Payment have been issued with an urgent warning.

The notice was shared with the 420,000 people who are currently receiving the payment from the Department of Social Protection.

Minister Heather Humphreys said that members of the public should be aware of scam phone calls from individuals claiming to be an official of the Department.

The call displays a range of numbers one of which is the official helpline number 1890 800 024.

However the Department confirmed that it is currently not engaged in contacting customers or members of the public through this number.

Minister Humphreys said: “Please do not engage with these calls or share any personal information with the callers in question.

Heather Humphreys TD (Collins Photos)

“It’s important to stress that Department of Social Protection staff will never ask you for your Personal Public Services number (PPSN) or bank details if they should have reason to call you over the phone.”

Meanwhile a second notice was shared with the more than 7,000 people who closed their PUP claims in the last seven days.

They were advised that they must close their claim on the actual day they return to work to avoid incurring an overpayment.

Minister Humphreys added: "As we begin a limited phased easing of restrictions from today, we see that more people have closed their Pandemic Unemployment Payment claim in the past week to return to work.

“With sectors such as construction and our schools re-opening, it is vital that we take a cautious approach until a substantial level of our population has been vaccinated, at which point we will move to reopen our society more widely.

“I appreciate that the restrictions currently have a huge impact on the social and economic wellbeing of our communities. However, the vaccination programme will give us a pathway to a return to economic and social activity.

“Finally, I would like to remind anyone receiving the Pandemic Unemployment Payment who is returning to work that they must close their claim for the payment on the actual day that they start back at work.”