A review team has been set up in the Department to systematically review claims from Aer Lingus employees for the period between March and end-August when the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme was in payment. The Department is writing to individual employees of the company requesting that they contact their employer for the information that required to complete the review. The employer is required to complete a UP38 form in respect of the employee, providing details for each day in the review period on whether the employee was employed/remunerated.
Entitlement to a casual jobseeker's or short-time work support payment for any day during the review period depends, among other things, on whether or not a person received remuneration from their employer, including TWSS, 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 and were not remunerated.
My Department has continued to engage with the company and has also made an arrangement with the company that, if my Department asks its employees for particular information, the company is aware of what is required and will immediately supply it to the employee via email.
Unfortunately, because of the volume and complexity of claims involved and the need to go back to individuals, the process will take some time. My staff are committed to keep processing them until a decision is reached on each one and it is intended to get through the claims in the coming weeks.
It should be noted that all of the cases under review are currently in payment and, as only the March to August period when TWSS was in operation, is under review, current payments should not be affected.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.