O’Sullivan welcomes Payment of PUP Arrears

Fianna Fáil TD for Cork North Central Padraig O’Sullivan has today welcomed confirmation that payment of PUP arrears will be paid by next week.  

Deputy O’Sullivan commented “Up to 300,000 recipients of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment are set to receive arrears due to them by next week, the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection, Community, Rural Development and the Islands confirmed to me today. This has been a real issue for many people in Cork. I am pleased that a resolution has now been reached and that payment of these arrears will be made swiftly.  PUP payments are a necessary lifeline for many people. Any delay and cases of arrears were causing significant distress for many. 

“I understand that the Department of Social Protection Assistant Secretary Teresa Leonard acknowledged that some arrears cases are progressing slowly, due to their complexity and inadequate or inaccurate information, and would have to be processed manually. I have stressed the importance of these cases being processed in the month of December, before Christmas where possible. The festive period is an expensive time for many and these arrear payments will make a real difference to many people” concluded Deputy O’Sullivan.