2,600 people in Kerry closed their Pandemic Unemployment Payment this week.
They’re among 16,500 people in the county availing of COVID-19 welfare payments this week, according to details from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection.
The Pandemic Unemployment Payment, paid at a rate of €350 a week, is for employees and the self-employed who are fully out of work due to COVID-19.
This week the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection issued payments valued at €128 million to 413,000 people across the country, a drop of 26,000 since last week.
In Kerry, 15,400 people are getting the Pandemic Unemployment Payment this week; that’s down 1,000 on last week, and represents a drop of almost 7,000 (6,800) people since May 5th.
Among them are 2,600 people who have informed the Department they’re returning to work and have closed their payment this week, that’s up from 700 people last week.
The COVID-19 Illness Benefit, also paid at a rate of €350 a week, is for people who have been medically certified to self-isolate or have been diagnosed with COVID-19.
In Kerry, 1,100 people are getting this payment this week, the same as last week.
