Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 7 October 2020
156. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider allowing self-employed recipients of the pandemic unemployment payment to work a certain number of hours per week; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29017/20]
View answerThe Government has extended the pandemic unemployment payment until 31st March 2021 and I have secured Government approval to extend the closing date for new applications for the pandemic unemployment scheme to the end of this year.
One of the qualifying conditions for self- employed people to receive the pandemic unemployment payment is that they must have suffered a reduction in their trading income to the extent that they would be available for other full time work. This means that there is some flexibility for the self- employed to take up occasional or intermittent work without it affecting their pandemic unemployment payment. The once off or occasional work should be infrequent and must show a clear divergence from previous work patterns.
Alternative supports may be available to self- employed individuals who are engaged in regular employment depending on their particular circumstances, such as jobseekers.
A self-employed individual may also be able to avail of my Department’s enterprise support grant that provides support of up to €1,000 with business re-start costs where they transition from the pandemic unemployment payment back into employment. To date over 3,100 people have benefited from this grant. Full details of the funding and the application process are available on www.gov.ie
I would suggest that anyone in the situation where they are being offered regular employment should engage with the Department to assess the most appropriate option for them.
I trust that this clarifies the matter at this time.
