Nearly 30,000 people receiving the Government’s pandemic unemployment payment could lose the benefit from next week unless they confirm their continued eligibility for the scheme within the coming days.
The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection said on Monday that 262,500 people would receive the special pandemic unemployment payment this week – down 12,100 on the figure for last week.
It said the number receiving the benefit had dropped 56 per cent since the peak that was reached in early May.
The department said that it had issued notifications over the weekend to about 29,000 people who had so far failed to confirm their continued eligibility for the payment.
It set a deadline of midday on Friday for the people concerned to reply. Otherwise it warned that no further payments under the scheme would be provided.
“In July, as part of process of assuring the integrity of the pandemic unemployment payments the department contacted the approximately 390,000 people receiving pandemic unemployment payments at that time and asked them to confirm their continued eligibility. Notifications were issued directly to pandemic unemployment payment recipients via email, SMS and via their MyWelfare account informing them of their need to confirm their continued eligibility. These direct communications were supported by a large advertising campaign on national and local media and on social media. The vast majority of people have now confirmed their eligibility but a number of people have not responded despite being contacted on three separate occasions.
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