Half a million people are now receiving the State’s special COVID-19 Unemployment payment.
This includes 16,000 people in Tipperary, while there are now over 700,000 citizens depending on social welfare supports of any kind nationally.
507,000 people received the special €350 per week payment last Friday, which was set up on March 16th to help those who’ve been laid off temporarily due to the spread of COVID-19.
The figure is up from 283,000 just a week ago.
Combined with the 205,000 people on the live register getting the normal jobseekers benefit of just over €200 per week, it means 712,000 are now receiving welfare payments from the Department of Social Protection.
All payments are due to land in bank accounts and at post offices from tomorrow.
46,000 ineligible applications were sent in, so Department officials say they’re working on developing the online process to stop people entering the wrong information.
