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Thursday 30 March 2023 Dublin: 15°C

# Social Welfare

All time
# Social Welfare
Highest level of Pandemic Unemployment Payment to be restored to €350 a week
The payment was cut to a maximum of €300 per week last month.
# PUP
Number receiving Covid-19 unemployment payment rises by over 15,000
244,153 people are now in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment.
# Budget 2021
How the 2021 Budget will impact social welfare payments
The government released its €17.75 billion Budget package earlier today.
# PUP
Self-employed people to be allowed claim Covid-19 welfare payment while earning through work
The measure was announced as part of Budget 2021 today.
# PUP
Most people on the Pandemic Unemployment Payment will get a Christmas bonus
The announcement that those on the PUP in December will receive a Christmas bonus was part of Budget 2021 announced today.
# PUP
Number receiving Covid-19 unemployment payment jumps by over 23,000
228,858 people are now in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment.
# Social Welfare
Social welfare payments will be paid weekly again from the beginning of November
The move was welcomed by An Post and the postmasters union.
# Data Collection
Data watchdog has 'serious doubts' over whether social welfare inspectors acted lawfully at airports
The Data Protection Commission is seeking further clarity from the department over the actions of social welfare inspectors at airports.
# Penalised
'There is no agenda here': Taoiseach open to a review of PUP cases that were cut off due to travel
A number of concerns about how welfare payments were cut if citizens travelled abroad have been raised.
# Covid PUP
Department of Social Protection: 'The PUP is not paid to people who leave the country to live elsewhere, or who go on holidays abroad'
The Department said that the vast majority of welfare payments that were ceased were to people who left the country “permanently”.
# Social Welfare
Decision to cut welfare payments after recipients' holidays abroad criticised as 'unfair and discriminatory'
Over 140 people have had their welfare payments stopped after travelling abroad – but others receiving State benefits aren’t affected.
# Criminal Assets
Freezing of cryptocurrency used by criminals results in jump in CAB proceeds
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.
# Social Welfare
More than four years’ worth of welfare claims processed in a few weeks, Oireachtas committee hears
Department of Social Protection staff processed more than 1.2 million claims in a few weeks.
# Social Welfare
Domestic violence victims given access to Rent Supplement without a means test
The government announced the changes to the eligibility for the payment today.
# Social Welfare
Rent Supplement payments rise by 33% since beginning of Covid-19 pandemic
The number of households on the payment has risen by 5,136 since mid-March.
# Social Welfare
Number receiving Covid-19 unemployment payment drops again with 64,000 now back to work
€190.2 million worth of payments were issued to 543,200 people today.
# Social Welfare
Numbers on Rent Supplement payment up 20% since beginning of Covid-19 pandemic
Housing groups have warned that Ireland could see a rise in evictions as a result of the crisis.
# The other crisis
'It's a perfect storm': Sharp rise in Rent Supplement payments raises concerns over post-Covid crisis
There has been a 15% increase in the number of people receiving Rent Supplement since Covid-19 restrictions began.
# Social Welfare
Varadkar: 'Extending pandemic payment and wage subsidy scheme may be needed if restrictions stay in place'
Varadkar also said no decision has been made on whether or not to extend the payment.
# covid19 unemployment
Department 'inadvertently' emailed 1,700 people telling them their Covid-19 payment was to be stopped
The department said it has now emailed all individuals affected to advise them of the error and reassure them their payment will continue.
# Wages
19,000 people close pandemic payment due to claiming it 'in error'
The government says the temporary wage subsidy scheme is not being taxed at the time at which you receive it.
# Social Welfare
Thousands to receive €350 Covid Unemployment Payment today
The payment has led to almost 390,000 applications to the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection.
# Coronavirus
Public transport services to be reduced from next week
Visits to prisons will end from tomorrow, the government has also announced.
# Social Welfare
Most new Covid-19 unemployment benefit claims to be paid by next week
The first coronavirus-related payments were made earlier this week.
# Coronavirus
Emergency Covid-19 legislation passes all stages in the Dáil
The government included a sunset clause for the legislation to be review in November after concerns were raised by TDs.
# Coronavirus
Cabinet approves emergency Covid-19 legislation ahead of Thursday's Dáil sitting
Leo Varadkar and President Michael D Higgins met this afternoon to discuss the State’s efforts to combat the coronavirus.
# Jail
Man who fraudulently claimed over €225,000 in social welfare admits to falsely claiming a further €18,000
Leendert Stolk fraudulently used a school stamp while claiming child benefit for his two children between 2011 and 2018, a court heard today.
# Money Money Money
New measures to see increases in some social welfare payments from this week
Pensioners and people with disabilities who are living alone are the main cohort of social welfare recipients to benefit.
# Festive Cheer
Christmas bonus will be paid out to 1.2 million social welfare recipients at start of December
The cost of the Christmas bonus this year will be €279.4 million.
# budget 2020
Here's what Budget 2020 means for people receiving social welfare payments
The INOU has said it is “very disappointing” there were no increases to Jobseekers’ payments.
# Welfare Fraud
750,000 social welfare claims to be reviewed as part of Government clampdown on fraud
The Department aims to save €530 million by tackling fraud over the next four years.
# Public Services Card
Data Protection Commission to seek enforcement action over government's refusal to comply with PSC findings
The government is challenging the findings of a landmark report into the legality of the card.
# Courts
Dutch man who falsely claimed €200k in social welfare while outside Ireland is jailed for four years
Letters sent to his house in the Dublin 15 were redirected to his address outside the country.
# draw the dole
New social welfare scheme promises 'breathing space' for unemployed artists
Unemployed artists will be able to receive jobseekers allowance while also focusing on their own work for 12 months.
# Social Welfare
Regina Doherty 'can't guarantee' pension increases in Budget 2020 because of Brexit
The Budget for 2020 will be announced in October – weeks before the UK is due to leave the EU.
# Social Welfare
Will there be a 2020 Christmas bonus? No decision's been made yet
Pearse Doherty said Christmas comes every year, yet the bonus hasn’t been factored into spending.
# Self-employed
Government to go ahead with plans for self-employed to access jobseeker's payments
Self-employed people will be able to access €203 a week if they’re out of work.
# Climate Change
ESRI warns that carbon taxes 'often regressive in nature'
The government is looking at two models to increase carbon tax and offset the cost to householders.
# Parental Leave
'It's about a culture change': New welfare payment which could benefit up to 60,000 parents announced
Details of the Parental Leave scheme were announced this morning.
# Public Services Card
'I felt so humiliated, I burst into tears': Woman questions why she was asked for adoption cert when applying for PSC
The woman’s adopted status is not well known and she was unaware she would have to discuss the topic in public.