PUP to close today after two years with 44,747 claimants to get final payment

The major social welfare intervention was introduced in March 2020 to support employees and the self-employed who lost their jobs due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The PUP was initially designed to be a short-term measure that would only last for six weeks, but it was extended several times and to date it has cost the exchequer over €2bn.

When first introduced, the payment provided claimants with €350 a week, but it was later reduced to €208 as society began to reopen.

There were 239,580 PUP recipients in the first week of the scheme (week ending 22 March 2020). Substantial increases over the next two weeks followed and weekly increases brought the scheme of 605,539 recipients for the week ending 03 May 2020.

It closed for new recipients in January and today the final 44,747 claimants will receive the PUP.

Those who are still unable to work will move to the jobseekers' payments if they are deemed eligible.

The scheme came in for sharp criticism from business and industry groups, as consumer activity began to rise and staff shortages impacted several industries including hospitality and construction.