A total of 14,600 people in Clare are receiving Pandemic Unemployment Payment figures issued today (Tuesday May 5) by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection have shown.
Nationally the department has issued payments valued at €209.3m to 598,000 people in respect of their application for the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment. Around 11,000 people are receiving a payment for the first time this week.
There are now over 52,000 employers who have registered with the Revenue Commissioners for the Temporary Covid-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme. The payments are in addition to the approximate 205,000 people who were on the Live Register as of the end of March.
All Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment payments issued will be in recipients’ bank accounts or at their local post office today. In total (since launch on the 16th March, 2020), and excluding duplicate claims, the Department processed applications from 694,000 people for the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment or a jobseeker’s payment.
As is the case, for all social welfare schemes, the Department conducts a series of pre and post payment checks.
To date, over 73,000 people have contacted the Department to close their Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment. Many of these requests are because employers are taking people back onto their payroll under the Temporary Covid-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme.
The Department is continuing to resolve any issues, such as invalid IBANS or PPSNs, with legitimate applications and is contacting the people concerned directly over the next few days.
There are now 39,100 people medically certified for receipt of the Covid-19 enhanced Illness Benefit. This predominantly relates to applications in respect of people who have been advised by their GP to self-isolate together with a smaller number in respect of people who have been diagnosed with Covid-19.
A native of Ennis, Colin McGann has been editor of The Clare Champion since August 2020. Former editor of The Clare People, he is a journalism and communications graduate of Dublin Institute of Technology.