The number of people in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment is just under 163,400 this week - the lowest level since the pandemic began.
The number receiving the payment dropped almost 29,000 on last week, as people returning to work closed their claim. This week, the Department of Social Protection issued weekly payments valued at €48.4 million to 163,327 people in receipt of the PUP.
The overall bill for PUP now stands at over €8.3 billion. Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys said, with the return of indoor hospitality, it is great to see more businesses now re-opened as we move into the busiest weeks of the summer holiday season. "The number of people in receipt of the PUP is now at the lowest level since the