Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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120. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the date at which self-employed persons receiving the PUP payment can earn up to €480 will be operational. [32115/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 115 and 120 together.

Budget 2021 provides that recipients engaging in self-employment can earn up to €480 over a four week period and continue to maintain entitlement to the Pandemic Unemployment Payment.  The €480 limit is based on gross income, before tax and PRSI, minus expenses.  This measure applies with immediate effect.

Where a self-employed individual exceeds the earnings threshold and is engaging in regular limited self-employment, access to the Part-Time Job Incentive has been extended to those who transition from the Pandemic Unemployment payment.  Under this scheme, a self-employed person receiving the Pandemic Unemployment, for at least 16 weeks, can engage in self-employment for up to 24 hours per week and retain a personal weekly rate of payment of €128.60.  A self-employed jobseeker with a qualified adult can be paid €209.70 per week.

Another option open to a self-employed person who is engaged in regular employment but trading on a limited basis is the means tested jobseeker's allowance scheme.

A self-employed person may also be eligible for support under the COVID-19 Enterprise Support Grant which provides support of up to €1,000 with business re-start costs where a person transitions from the Pandemic Unemployment Payment back into employment.  Budget 2021 has provided that this support will be extended until 2021. Further information on this grant is available on www.gov.ie.

I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputies. 

Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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122. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if those in receipt of the pandemic unemployment payment can participate in a full-time training course and retain the payment; if not, if there are plans to allow claimants to take up full-time training to improve their employment opportunities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32128/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 116 and 122 together.

The Department’s Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) provides income support for jobseekers and certain others in receipt of social welfare payments who pursue full-time courses of education at second or third level.  The main focus of the allowance is to assist qualifying applicants to improve their educational qualifications and their prospects of gaining employment. 

The BTEA has been extended as part of the July Stimulus in response to Covid-19.  Ordinarily a person must be in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment for a minimum period before being eligible to apply for the BTEA when pursuing training or education.  The qualifying period has been waived for people coming from the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP).  This ensures that those who have lost their employment during the pandemic have immediate access to a range of educational options. 

In order to avail of continued financial support while pursuing a full-time course, a person in receipt of PUP should apply for a jobseeker payment.  The BTEA is payable at the jobseeker's rate while they are in education and continue to have an entitlement to the payment.

Where someone in receipt of PUP wishes to pursue short term or part-time study they can continue to receive PUP while they continue to satisfy the conditions of that payment. 

Any person seeking to return to education should engage with their local Intreo Centre to assess their options.

I trust this clarifies the issues for the Deputies.