The priority for my Department up to now has been to ensure that payments are being made currently and to date over 3,200 claims have been put into payment in respect of employees at the company referred to by the Deputy. This work is now complete and work has commenced this week on applications in respect of the period pre-September when the Temporary Wage Subsidy scheme was in payment. Each individual claim is being assessed on an individual basis for each employee involving a detailed examination of the specific work patterns and remuneration arrangements in place.
Entitlement to a casual jobseeker's or short-time work support payment for any day during that period depends, among other things, on whether or not a person received remuneration from their employer for that day. Each case needs to be examined individually to determine if the remuneration paid by the company concerned was in respect of a complete period or only specific days within a period. This will determine if a person may be entitled to a casual jobseeker's payment in respect of the days on which a person did not work.
Because of the volume and complexity of claims involved and the need to go back to individual claimants, the process will take some time.
Once a decision is made on a particular claim, my Department will notify that claimant of the outcome and it will be open to any person, who is not satisfied with this decision, to seek a review or to appeal that decision to the independent Social Welfare Appeals Office.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
