More than 2,000 people in Cork close PUP claim

More than 2,000 people in Cork have closed their pandemic unemployment payment (PUP) claim in the past week.

According to the Department of Social Protection, the last week saw 18,827 people close their PUP claims nationally, with 16,793 of these stating that they were doing so because they are returning to work.

Dublin had the greatest number of people closing their claims to return to work (3,800), followed by Cork (2,102) and Galway (901) and Meath (901).

This week, the Department of Social Protection has issued weekly payments valued at €125.4 million to 420,773 people in receipt of the PUP.

The figures are in addition to the 183,096 people who were on the Live Register at the end of March.

Dublin is the county with the highest number of people who are receiving PUP this week at 135,295. It is followed by Cork (42,003) and Galway (22,733).

The sector with the highest number of people receiving PUP this week is Accommodation and Food Service activities (103,271), followed by Wholesale and Retail Trade (67,832) and Construction (48,933).

The Construction sector has seen the largest decrease in the number of people receiving PUP this week with 1,236 fewer people receiving the payment compared to last week.

Commenting on the latest figures, Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys said: “The efforts of the Irish people in suppressing this virus are having a really positive impact.

We are again this week seeing a welcome reduction in Covid-19 cases, in hospitalisations and in ICU admissions.

“If we continue to make this kind of progress, we will then be well-placed to consider a further easing of restrictions into May and June. These decisions will be considered closely by Cabinet next week.”