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Saturday 28 November 2020
The bonus will be paid in the week beginning 7 December.
The minister for social protection said the rise in the number of PUP recipients was expected given the Level 5 restrictions in place.
The payment was cut to a maximum of €300 per week last month.
244,153 people are now in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment.
The government released its €17.75 billion Budget package earlier today.
The measure was announced as part of Budget 2021 today.
The announcement that those on the PUP in December will receive a Christmas bonus was part of Budget 2021 announced today.
228,858 people are now in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment.
The move was welcomed by An Post and the postmasters union.
The Data Protection Commission is seeking further clarity from the department over the actions of social welfare inspectors at airports.
A number of concerns about how welfare payments were cut if citizens travelled abroad have been raised.
The Department said that the vast majority of welfare payments that were ceased were to people who left the country “permanently”.
Over 140 people have had their welfare payments stopped after travelling abroad – but others receiving State benefits aren’t affected.
The jump in frozen assets is due in the main to the granting of a freezing order over cryptocurrency to the value of €53 million.
Department of Social Protection staff processed more than 1.2 million claims in a few weeks.
The government announced the changes to the eligibility for the payment today.
The number of households on the payment has risen by 5,136 since mid-March.
€190.2 million worth of payments were issued to 543,200 people today.
Housing groups have warned that Ireland could see a rise in evictions as a result of the crisis.
There has been a 15% increase in the number of people receiving Rent Supplement since Covid-19 restrictions began.
Varadkar also said no decision has been made on whether or not to extend the payment.
The department said it has now emailed all individuals affected to advise them of the error and reassure them their payment will continue.
The government says the temporary wage subsidy scheme is not being taxed at the time at which you receive it.
The payment has led to almost 390,000 applications to the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection.
Visits to prisons will end from tomorrow, the government has also announced.
The first coronavirus-related payments were made earlier this week.
The government included a sunset clause for the legislation to be review in November after concerns were raised by TDs.
Leo Varadkar and President Michael D Higgins met this afternoon to discuss the State’s efforts to combat the coronavirus.
Leendert Stolk fraudulently used a school stamp while claiming child benefit for his two children between 2011 and 2018, a court heard today.
Pensioners and people with disabilities who are living alone are the main cohort of social welfare recipients to benefit.
The cost of the Christmas bonus this year will be €279.4 million.
The INOU has said it is “very disappointing” there were no increases to Jobseekers’ payments.
The Department aims to save €530 million by tackling fraud over the next four years.
The government is challenging the findings of a landmark report into the legality of the card.
Letters sent to his house in the Dublin 15 were redirected to his address outside the country.
Unemployed artists will be able to receive jobseekers allowance while also focusing on their own work for 12 months.
The Budget for 2020 will be announced in October – weeks before the UK is due to leave the EU.
Pearse Doherty said Christmas comes every year, yet the bonus hasn’t been factored into spending.
Self-employed people will be able to access €203 a week if they’re out of work.
The government is looking at two models to increase carbon tax and offset the cost to householders.
THE GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCED last night that Ireland will return to Level 3 restrictions (with some variations) for the month of December.
It follows six weeks of Level 5 restrictions, and the new guidelines will allow people to be a bit more social and for businesses to open ahead of Christmas, offering a sense of relief to many after a tough year.
But although Covid-19 cases have reduced in recent weeks, there are worries that going back to Level 3 now will inevitably lead to a rise in cases again and that we’ll face tighter restrictions again in the new year.
So today, we want to know: Do you agree with the Government’s decision to reduce Ireland’s Covid-19 restrictions to Level 3?
Poll Results:
Share your story: voices@thejournal.ie
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