Just under 450,000 people will receive the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment this week, a reduction of 7,000 or 1.5% over the last 7 days.
The number of PUP recipients receiving income support does not include over 186,000 people who were on the Live Register at the end of February.
When the two are combined, 636,000 people who are out of work are totally reliant on the state for income support.
This week's payments will cost just over €134 million.
Over the last week, 9,847 people close their PUP claims, with 8,534 of these reporting that they were returning to work.
The biggest decrease was in construction, with a drop of 1,685 claims.
However, the only employment sector which did not see a reduction in claims as people returned to work was the Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities sector.
The counties with the highest number of PUP claimants are Dublin (43,056) followed by Cork (45,238) and Galway (24,186).
The sectors with the highest number of people receiving PUP this week are Accommodation and Food Service activities (107,905) followed by Wholesale and Retail Trade (72,009) and Construction (55,584).
Just under half of claimants are receiving the top PUP rate of €350 per week.
The Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys said the PUP continued to act as a vital income support for almost 450,000 who lost their jobs as a result of the pandemic - and pledged that the government would ensure it remained in place until 30th June.
She acknowledged how difficult the current restrictions are, adding that people were continuing to make "extraordinary" sacrifices on behalf of their families, friends, colleagues and frontline workers.
"We have shown before as a country that by adhering to the public health guidelines we can get these virus numbers right back down."
The Department confirmed that it has commenced a process of contacting 121,000 PUP recipients to verify their ongoing entitlement to the benefit by this Friday 26th March - but said that only those claimants who are contacted need to confirm their eligibility.
It stressed that as part of this process, it never seeks banking or other personal information.
Separately, 2,134 people are receiving the Covid-19 Enhanced Illness Benefit Payment - down from 2,472 a week ago.
Minister Humphreys reminded Illness Benefit claimants that they can apply online to their doctor to secure a medical certificate, and do not have to leave their home.
