It's being claimed that some young people are refusing to give up the pandemic unemployment payment and return to work.

The pandemic unemployment payment will be entirely removed by February next year.

But prior to that the rates of PUP cut in the middle of September, and again in mid-November.

Rates will be cut by €50 a week for each group on PUP. Someone on the €350 rate (currently the highest rate) will drop to €300 in September; then drop to €250 in November; and finally to €203 in February.

The final rate of €203 will be the same as the maximum Jobseeker’s Allowance weekly rate.

However some employers are saying before the PUP is cut, some young people are refusing to part-time jobs.

Barry Whyte reports