COVID Pandemic Unemployment Payment application form

This afternoon.

Ingrid Miley, of RTÉ, reports that the latest figures from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection show more than 700,000 people are now in receipt of social welfare income supports.

Ms Miley reports:

Last Friday, payments were issued to 507,000 recipients of the €350 per week Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Support payment, which is up from 283,000 a week ago.

These payments are in addition to the 205,000 people on the Live Register receiving “standard” non-Covid-19 -related Jobseeker’s Benefit of €203.

This means that a total of 712,000 people are receiving income supports, with 507,000 signing on since 16 March when the Covid-19 Pandemic payment was announced.

More than 700,000 receiving welfare supports (RTÉ)

Previously: Tested Negative And Petty

513,350

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12 thoughts on “712,000

  1. the bottler

    Ingrid. Michael O’Leary’s favourite journalist. She seems to relish reporting bad news from her feathered perch in RTE.

  2. GiggidyGoo

    “These payments are in addition to the 205,000 people on the Live Register receiving “standard” non-Covid-19 -related Jobseeker’s Benefit of €203.”

    Now, the CSO tells us that the unemployment number is 120,000 as of February 2020.

    However if 205000 are receiving the standard rate of €203 (which is the full rate for one person) as of February, doesn’t that suggest 205,000 is the actual pre-covid, unemployment figure and not what the CSO are telling us at 120,000 (which is an estimated figure anyway)?

    Shouldn’t unemployment figures be based on the number of people that are getting the full rate, and not guesswork?

      1. GiggidyGoo

        Eh….yes they did. https://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/er/mue/monthlyunemploymentfebruary2020/

        BTW your link specifically states … the Live Register is not designed to measure unemployment. It includes part-time workers (those who work up to three days a week), seasonal and casual workers entitled to Jobseeker’s Benefit (JB) or Jobseeker’s Allowance (JA). Unemployment is measured by the Labour Force Survey.

        The Monthly Unemployment Rate (seasonally adjusted) is published in the Monthly Unemployment release.

      2. Cian

        Like I said last time you raised this. I think the “standard” refers to any jobseekers payment that existed before the COVID19.
        Someone working one-day part-time is only getting 80% of the “standard” €203 but is counted in the 205,000.
        The original article also says it is the live register which is what Qwerty 123 quoted.

        1. GiggidyGoo

          Read the report above. It’s not saying ‘part’ of it. (“These payments are in addition to the 205,000 people on the Live Register receiving “standard” non-Covid-19 -related Jobseeker’s Benefit of €203.)

  3. Murtles

    A friend of mine told me 2 of his employees quit to sign up for the Covid Payment even though his business is still up and running and he has employment for them. They were working 4 to 6 hours per day for 5 days a week so they were earning more than the full dole and getting paid holidays and benefits. But the high rate of €350 is slightly higher than their pay packet so for the sake of a few extra quid for 12 weeks, they’ve left him as a small business owner well in the lurch. I was well raging at their insolence but he’s a better man than me and said he may even rehire them when all is back to normal. I sure there’s more than 2 who have done this.

    1. Rob_G

      Did you not read Eamo’s article – no-one would ever think of doing such a thing, and Leo invented that entire scenario from whole-cloth.

      1. GiggidyGoo

        There’s a question on the form – ‘Why did this job finish?’. In order to get the Covid payment, they’d have to say that then. And there’s also a question as to the employer and their phone number.

        If the supposed employer is prepared to go along with these supposed two employees gaming the system, then maybe Murtles should re-consider his friendship with his friend and look at his friend’s insolence. If however he’s not prepared to go along with this, then the two employees won’t get the payment.

        (Maybe he should employ them for 8 hours a day?)

    2. diddy

      min wage without tips isn’t worth working for at anytime. €10ph x 35 = €350 a week. in Dublin. poverty wages.

      1. Murtles

        Just the one pint and a four pack of toilet roll (the fancy three ply stuff too, flash ba5+ard).

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