FOLLOWING THE EASING of Covid-19 restrictions the payment of jobseeker allowances will return to post offices.

The changes will initially apply to all new jobseeker applicants, before being extended to other jobseekers over the coming months.

When public health restrictions were introduced in 2020, people in receipt of social welfare were given the option of being paid into a bank account.

The Department of Social Protection says this was an exceptional measure to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus and ensure people could comply with social distancing guidelines.

Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys said the return to post offices would result in more people visiting local branches to collect their payments, supporting the post office network and helping tackle social welfare fraud.

I believe this is the right approach to take in terms of supporting the post office network and helping to reduce social welfare fraud.

The minister said the requirement to physically visit the post office to collect jobseeker payments will apply initially to new claims, beginning next month.

“But over the coming months, my Department will work to extend this requirement to other jobseeker claims,” Humphreys said.