PUP recipient numbers decrease in Kilkenny
There were 1,113 Kilkenny people availing of the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) in Kilkenny this week compared to 1,255 on February 1, 2022.
This represents an 11.3% decrease in PUP recipients in the county since the last official count from the Department of Social Protection.
The sector with the highest number of people receiving PUP this week is Accommodation and Food Service Activities, followed by Wholesale and Retail Trade and Administrative and Support Service activities.
Having reopened for workers who had been impacted by the restrictions in early December, PUP closed for new applications on January 22, 2022 in line with the government decision to lift these restrictions.
With effect from 8 March 2022, a person who is still in receipt of the PUP will move to a weekly rate of €208. This represents a four-week extension on what had previously been arranged.
PUP recipients will start transitioning to standard jobseeker terms, and if eligible, will start to move onto a jobseeker payment effective from April 5, 2022.
The department is issuing letters to 1,750 customers this week who are currently receiving PUP in addition to another social welfare weekly payment, for example: One-Parent Family Payment, Disability Allowance, Carer’s Allowance, advising them that they will not be receiving PUP from February 25.
Letters will also be issued this week to another cohort of customers advising them that they will transition to the standard jobseeker terms from March 25 and outlining the options available to them.