Seán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

94. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the current position regarding self-employed persons such as taxi drivers working and claiming the pandemic unemployment payment; the changes announced in budget 2021 in respect of this situation; when these new provisions will be implemented; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34131/20]

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

Budget 2021 provides measures for the self-employed so that they can engage in limited self-employment and retain income support.

The Budget provided 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. This measure is already in place.

Where a self-employed person exceeds this threshold and works up to 24 hours per week they 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.

It should be noted that a person also has the option of applying for means tested jobseeker's allowance where they are engaged in regular employment depending on their individual circumstances. The maximum weekly personal rate is €203 and increases may be paid for qualifying adults and children.

A self-employed person may also be eligible for support under my Department’s 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. Further information on these supports are available on

I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

95. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason the eligibility criteria for the Covid-19 pandemic unemployment payment has changed to only include those that have paid PRSI contributions; her views on whether this has negatively affected self-employed persons and small businesses; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34132/20]

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

The Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) was introduced as a statutory social welfare benefit scheme on 5 August 2020 to continue to mitigate the adverse economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

To facilitate customers, streamline processes and improve payment integrity the Department has, since PUP was first introduced in an emergency manner last March, implemented system checks to validate a person’s prior employment and earnings using PAYE and self-employment returns made to the Revenue Commissioners. The Department checks Revenue records to validate prior employment and to assess earnings for the purpose of establishing the correct earnings-related PUP payment rate. The vast majority of claims can be assessed quickly, and payment issued promptly, using this process.

In cases where there are no earnings data available, which represent a small percentage of the overall claims, the Department contacts the people concerned and asks them to submit any evidence that they may have attesting to their employment and earnings. In cases where supplementary information is provided the issue is generally resolved with payment issuing within a week of the information being received. Financial support is available via the Community Welfare Service under the means tested supplementary welfare allowance to any person facing an urgent income need during this period.

I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.