Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 May 2021
551. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Social Protection when case officers in social welfare offices were notified that participants on the back to work enterprise allowance could pause their allowance when their businesses were forced to close due to Covid-19 restrictions. [24515/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra552. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Social Protection if all participants on the back to work enterprise allowance were informed in writing of their option to pause their allowance when their businesses were forced to close due to Covid-19 restrictions. [24516/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 551 and 552 together.
The Back to Work Enterprise Allowance (BTWEA) scheme offers support for people who are long-term unemployed and who are interested in self-employment as a route to entering the labour market. The scheme plays a vital role in supporting the development of new enterprises for the long-term unemployed and is payable for up to a 24 month period from the commencement of their new business.
The primary condition for eligibility to BTWEA is that the participant is remaining in active self employment on a full time basis. It is normal practice to support a suspension of the scheme to facilitate a temporary deferral of self-employed activity, which primarily arises as a result of an illness or injury. This position has always been available to the Department’s case officers.
As with all welfare payments the onus is on the customer to notify the Department of a change in their circumstance. Where someone in receipt of BTWEA contacted the Department as a result of a loss in trading activity they were permitted to retain their BTWEA payment for the period to support the ongoing running of their business. In some cases the individual opted to suspend their BTWEA payment.
Following the onset of the Covid-19 Pandemic many self-employed people continued to operate their business at reduced levels. Provision was made to continue to pay the BTWEA and the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) concurrently, where appropriate, to support these newly established businesses. As the situation evolved, further amendments were made to the PUP to support self-employed people including that a person could take up limited self-employment and earn up to €960 over a rolling 8 week period. This also applies to those who are also in receipt of BTWEA.
In all instances people will continue to receive their full entitlement under the BTWEA, providing support for up to 24 months. Where a person’s entitlement to BTWEA exhausts and they are continuing to operate at reduced levels of business activity the Department has a range of income supports that may be available to them.
I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
