Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 October 2020
405. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Social Protection the weekly income taxi drivers can earn in addition to claiming the pandemic unemployment payment, in light of the collapse of their industry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31478/20]
View answer406. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Social Protection the income support schemes of which taxi drivers can avail; the new schemes that were announced in budget 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31479/20]
View answer415. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection the rationale on an issue (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31522/20]
View answer417. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Social Protection the measure announced in the budget to support self-employed persons impacted by the pandemic (details supplied); and if in calculating €480, self-employed persons can deduct operation and material costs which they incur and only consider income which they would normally consider for taxation purposes. [31530/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 405, 406, 415 and 417 together.
The Pandemic Unemployment Payment is available to employees and self-employed people who have lost their employment and the income from that employment due to the pandemic, and who satisfy the other qualifying statutory conditions. Self-employed people must have suffered a reduction in their trading income to the extent that they are available for other full time work to qualify for the payment.
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.
Where a person exceeds this 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 recipient of 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.
The objective of these measures is to provide that a self-employed person in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment or jobseekers payments can retain income support in limited circumstances where they engage in self-employment. It is envisaged that these measures will assist businesses to open and support the rehiring of staff but due to the pandemic can only do so intermittently or on a limited or reduced basis. These measures apply to all self-employed recipients including those operating as taxi drivers.
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.
