Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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941. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the position regarding the right of self-employed persons to the pandemic unemployment payment, illness and disability benefit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33876/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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A self-employed person is eligible for the Pandemic Unemployment Payment if they have suffered a reduction in their trading income as a consequence of COVID-19 to the extent that they are available for other full time work and satisfy the other qualifying conditions of the scheme.

Budget 2021 provides that recipients engaging in self-employment can earn up to €480 over a rolling 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. Where they exceed this threshold and work up to 24 hours per week a self employed person may be eligible for support under the Part Time Job Incentive scheme which, as part of Budget 2021, has been extended to the self-employed who transition from the Pandemic Unemployment Payment. The weekly rate of payment for a person transferring from the Pandemic Unemployment payment is €128.60.

Self-employed contributors do not have access to illness benefit. The means tested supplementary welfare allowance scheme may be available to those who are experiencing financial difficulty. However, payment of the enhanced illness benefit in respect of COVID-19 is made to both employed and self-employed people where a person.

(i) is diagnosed with COVID-19, or

(ii) is a probable source of infection of COVID-19 and is self-isolating – such persons will have either been certified by their doctor or will have been contacted by the HSE (i.e. they are contact-traced or otherwise personally identified and advised by the HSE as being a probable source of infection).

This assistance has been provided for under emergency legislation - the Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Act 2020 and subsequent regulations. It is provided in the interest of public health and to limit the spread of the virus.

Self-employed contributors have been covered for invalidity pension since December 2017. This gives the self-employed access to a safety-net of income supports if they become permanently incapable of work as a result of a long-term illness or disability without a means test.

I hope that this clarifies the position.