NEARLY 460,000 people are receiving the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) this week. 

A total of 459,921 people will receive the payment this week, an increase of 61,715 (15%) on the 398,206 people paid last week. 

These figures are in addition to the 189,860 people who were on the Live Register at the end of December. 

All Covid-19 PUPs issued will be in recipients’ bank accounts or at their post office tomorrow. 

The sector with the highest number of people receiving PUP this week is Accommodation and Food Service activities (110,351). This is followed by Wholesale and Retail Trade (73,382) and Construction (56,217).

The sector that has seen the largest increase this week is Construction, with 56,217 people in the sector receiving a PUP payment tomorrow.

This has increased from 32,152 recipients from the sector last week, which is attributed to the Level 5 restrictions imposed on the sector on the evening of Friday, 9 January.

In the past week, some 5,042 people closed their claim for the Pandemic Unemployment Payment stating that they are returning to work.

“This week’s Pandemic Unemployment Payment figures are a stark reminder to all of us of the impact that Covid-19 is having on so many individuals, families and businesses as well as our communities right across the country,” Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys said. 

“The last time we had this level of claims for PUP was in June 2020 as the country was beginning to emerge from the initial period of restrictions last summer,” Humphreys said.