The number of people due to receive the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) this week has fallen by less than 4,000 when compared to last week.
149,436 will get the PUP in the coming few days, down from 153,309 last week. It is the first time that the number of recipients has fallen below the 150,000 mark since the payment was introduced in March of last year at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
However, it is the second week in a row that the number has decreased by around 4,000, signalling an apparent stalling in the rate of reduction.
But the Minister for Social Protection said progress is being made. "The number of people in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment is at its lowest level since the introduction of the support,"