Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

833. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a back-to-work enterprise scheme is reckoned as income in the calculations when a pandemic unemployment payment claim is processed for the different rates. [32314/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Back to Work Enterprise Allowance (BTWEA) scheme offers support for people who are long-term unemployed and who are interested in self-employment as a route to entering the labour market. The scheme plays a vital role in supporting the development of new enterprises for the long term unemployed and is payable for a 24 month period from the commencement of their new business.

In the case of a self-employed contributor, the rate of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment is defined by reference to their reckonable income in either 2018 or 2019, which ever is the greater as provided by the Office of the Revenue Commissioners.

In common with all other social welfare payments, BTWEA is not included in any return of reckonable income to the Department. Accordingly, it is not reckonable as income for the purposes of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment.

I trust this clarifies the position.