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Over 18,000 people have Pandemic Unemployment Payment stopped after investigations

Some 18,500 people have had their Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) stopped after investigation...
Eoghan Murphy
Eoghan Murphy

06.25 11 Aug 2020


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Over 18,000 people have Pandem...

Over 18,000 people have Pandemic Unemployment Payment stopped after investigations

Eoghan Murphy
Eoghan Murphy

06.25 11 Aug 2020


Share this article


Some 18,500 people have had their Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) stopped after investigations by the Department of Social Protection.

Over €4.3m has been repaid by people who wrongly claimed money under the scheme.

The PUP was launched in March and is capped at €350 a week.

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New figures, released under the Freedom of Information Act, show 88,200 people had their applications for the payment refused.

While 18,500 people, who were approved for the payment, subsequently had it withdrawn after investigations by the department.

So far, more than 5,300 people have made re-payments to the department after receiving PUP payments they were not entitled to.

A total of €4.37m has been reclaimed from these people.

Sinn Féin's spokesperson for social protection, Claire Kerrane, says the figures are 'alarming'.

"We need to know why these payments were revoked after being received.

"And we also need to make that where the department are pursuing people for re-payments that those re-payments are made in a fair manner.

"None of these people applied for the PUP for the sake of it.

"And awful lot of people are suffering financially - they've lost their jobs, they've lost income".

All cases of suspected PUP fraud are investigated by the department's Special Investigation Unit - which includes 21 Gardaí.

Main image: The Department of Social Protection on Earlsfort Terrace in Dublin is pictured in 2012. Picture by: Sasko Lazarov/RollingNews.ie

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Claire Kerrane Covid-19 Department Of Social Protection FOI Freedom Of Information Investigation Pandemic Unemployment Payment Payments

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