Government Benefits Megathread

Dempo1

hondar wrote: »

It's if you were in employment on or after the 13th of march. Not before the 13th of March.

Just to be clear

The COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment is available to employees and the self-employed who have lost their job on or after 13 March due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Sunflowers8

Dempo1 wrote: »

It covers anyone who has lost their job, been laid off temporarily or self employed who've lost most if not all their trade/income as a result of Covid, part and full time included, Are you self employed or Paye?, you need to get cracking, 17th September, last claims being processed

Edit, I forgot to mention, you'd need to have been in employment on or b4 13th March 2020. The issue for you coukd be that you were on a fixed term contract so in essence you may not qualify based on the fact your contract is not ending because of Covid-19.

Thanks for the reply!

I was PAYE. Only recently finished my contact, and I was employed since before March.

I’m not sure who to ask because the application doesn’t have a space to add a comment. So I don’t want to apply and get money now, only to be investigated later.

Dempo1

Sunflowers8 wrote: »

Thanks for the reply!

I was PAYE. Only recently finished my contact, and I was employed since before March.

I’m not sure who to ask because the application doesn’t have a space to add a comment. So I don’t want to apply and get money now, only to be investigated later.

I've just sent you a PM for further advice on how to proceed

road_high

Is it true the PUP is being cut in 2 weeks? Saw someone mention it on twitter

Dempo1

Yes, being reduce to 3 rates, I'll get details shortly

From 17 September 2020 until 31 January 2021 the Pandemic Unemployment Payment will be paid at 3 rates.

The rate you receive will depend on the amount you used to get paid:

if you earned less than €200 per week - the rate of the COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment will be €203 per week

if you earned between €200 and €300 per week - the rate of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Unemployment Payment will be €250 per week

if you earned over €300 per week - you will receive €300 per week

shivermetimber

What's the latest info on travel and PUP cancellation for both green list and non green list countries since the furore a few weeks ago? Specifically, do they still have people actively seeking and recording peoples movement at the airport / passing passenger info onto certain departments?

Dempo1

shivermetimber wrote: »

What's the latest info on travel and PUP cancellation for both green list and non green list countries since the furore a few weeks ago? Specifically, do they still have people actively seeking and recording peoples movement at the airport / passing passenger info onto certain departments?

No update, travel to green countries permitted up to two weeks, department asking you advise them, travel to non green list , your payment will be suspended if caught, whilst the dust has settled and serious questions remaining about legality of checks, it's still an open question I believe

shivermetimber

Dempo1 wrote: »

No update, travel to green countries permitted up to two weeks, department asking you advise them, travel to non green list , your payment will be suspended if caught, whilst the dust has settled and serious questions remaining about legality of checks, it's still an open question I believe

Thanks, that's what I was seeing on the various relevant sites also. Can't understand how this is still a legal grey area, surely it should be clear by now.

Would be interesting to hear from anyone who has recently traveled and what their experience was at the airport both leaving and returning. Additionally what, if any, impact this had on their payment if it was a non green country and how they sorted it out if it was indeed 'suspended'.

road_high

It's obvious the lockdown donkeys in our Govt hadn't budgeted for this and are eroding the payment rates in a desperate rush to save cash...but I don't think staff who have been forced out of work by government restritions should see any cut to their €350 if earning over that figure last February.
Thinking of people in the pub, entertainments and events sectors in particular. Many of their skills may not be readily transferable to other sectors either.

Dempo1

road_high wrote: »

It's obvious the lockdown donkeys in our Govt hadn't budgeted for this and are eroding the payment rates in a desperate rush to save cash...but I don't think staff who have been forced out of work by government restritions should see any cut to their €350 if earning over that figure last February.
Thinking of people in the pub, entertainments and events sectors in particular. Many of their skills may not be readily transferable to other sectors either.

Agreed fully but its worth pointing out the wage subsidy scheme (TWSS) also ends today, being replaced with a drastically scaled back EWSS, instead of a maximum €350/ €410 per employee, businesses were getting per week, it's now €250 & employers have to wait up to 6 weeks to receive it, instead of the 48hrs currently. There's also much stricter criteria (not a bad thing to be honest).

I've already spoken to a number of people being laid of this week as a result.

road_high

Dempo1 wrote: »

Agreed fully but its worth pointing out the wage subsidy scheme (TWSS) also ends today, being replaced with a drastically scaled back EWSS, instead of a maximum €350/ €410 per employee, businesses were getting per week, it's now €250 & employers have to wait up to 6 weeks to receive it, instead of the 48hrs currently. There's also much stricter criteria (not a bad thing to be honest).

I've already spoken to a number of people being laid of this week as a result.

What kind of roles are the people laid off in?

Dempo1

road_high wrote: »

What kind of roles are the people laid off in?

Travel, Retail, Hotel, Bar & some people I know at airports

I also know quite a few self employed who just can't get back into any semblance of business, orders cancelled, events postponed. Sadly the self employed often forgotten in this crisis.

runningbuddy

Hinfolsk, I was made redundant in June due to Covid. I was then receiving the Covid payment. I was lucky enough to get a 6month temporary role a few weeks ago but that role is now at risk. What do I do now? When I am let go, will I apply for Covid again ?? Thanks for any advice folks

Beasty

Threads merged

Dempo1

runningbuddy wrote: »

Hinfolsk, I was made redundant in June due to Covid. I was then receiving the Covid payment. I was lucky enough to get a 6month temporary role a few weeks ago but that role is now at risk. What do I do now? When I am let go, will I apply for Covid again ?? Thanks for any advice folks

It's tricky as you say role is at risk rather than finished. Unfortunately you can't apply for PUP unless you've essentially lost the role. Added to this concern is it ends on the 17th September. My best advice is to seek definitive clarity on whether the role will finish or indeed end, perhaps talk to employer and explain your immediate concerns.

Jinglejangle69

Hi Dempo,

I seen on the revenue site that companies who had reason to believe their turnover would be down at the start of the pandemic and received the scheme up until now won't face claw backs from Revenue.

Do you know if that's true.

As in all companies have to say is they thought turnover would be down so they applied for the scheme.

And revenue won't be looking for evidence?

doc22

Jinglejangle69 wrote: »

Hi Dempo,

I seen on the revenue site that companies who had reason to believe their turnover would be down at the start of the pandemic and received the scheme up until now won't face claw backs from Revenue.

Do you know if that's true.

As in all companies have to say is they thought turnover would be down so they applied for the scheme.

And revenue won't be looking for evidence?

they'd look for evidence of the reason

PTH2009

Finished on the covid payment and back to part time work and xs and os

It was a big morale boost for a lot of people over the lockdown. Bit ridiculous tbh at the start of lockdown (obv happy as it was more than I earned and will earn for a while) with the flat rate so high

The budget is going to be pretty scary

Dempo1

Jinglejangle69 wrote: »

Hi Dempo,

I seen on the revenue site that companies who had reason to believe their turnover would be down at the start of the pandemic and received the scheme up until now won't face claw backs from Revenue.

Do you know if that's true.

As in all companies have to say is they thought turnover would be down so they applied for the scheme.

And revenue won't be looking for evidence?

I can't answer that fully as Revenue will have various criteria to ascertain if a business was being completely honest in their reporting. Obviously every business that closed during lockdown suffered, however we're the questions will start will be if business's did not in fact see a reduction of 25% of turnover and continued claiming TWSS months later. Even if a business was being honest in their interpretation of a projected fall in turnover, if revenue determine no such reduction occurred, I doubt very much when audits are completed, they'll turn around and say, "a your grand, keep that few bob you claimed when you didn't need too" etc etc

Its very, very telling that some companies are actually paying back what they were paid, Penny's and Woodies come to mind, I doubt very much they did this out of suddenly feeling charitable?

Dempo1

PTH2009 wrote: »

Finished on the covid payment and back to part time work and xs and os

It was a big morale boost for a lot of people over the lockdown. Bit ridiculous tbh at the start of lockdown (obv happy as it was more than I earned and will earn for a while) with the flat rate so high

The budget is going to be pretty scary

Well done, was the process getting back on x & o"s complicated? did you have to go into an intero centre, wait time etc, can this be done via my welfare?

runningbuddy

Thanks folks. Role is definitely at risk so I'd say I'll get September out of it. I'll start looking around.

What exactly is happening on 17th September?? Sorry I assumed Covid payment was been paid until after Xmas

Jinglejangle69

Dempo1 wrote: »

I can't answer that fully as Revenue will have various criteria to ascertain if a business was being completely honest in their reporting. Obviously every business that closed during lockdown suffered, however we're the questions will start will be if business's did not in fact see a reduction of 25% of turnover and continued claiming TWSS months later. Even if a business was being honest in their interpretation of a projected fall in turnover, if revenue determine no such reduction occurred, I doubt very much when audits are completed, they'll turn around and say, "a your grand, keep that few bob you claimed when you didn't need too" etc etc

Its very, very telling that some companies are actually paying back what they were paid, Penny's and Woodies come to mind, I doubt very much they did this out of suddenly feeling charitable?

Thanks for that.

Exactly what I was thinking.

Revenue won't let things slip that easy.

PTH2009

Dempo1 wrote: »

Well done, was the process getting back on x & o"s complicated? did you have to go into an intero centre, wait time etc, can this be done via my welfare?

I had to send an email with details to my local centre

Handy enough and they sent ya out the Xs and Os forms

road_high

runningbuddy wrote: »

Thanks folks. Role is definitely at risk so I'd say I'll get September out of it. I'll start looking around.

What exactly is happening on 17th September?? Sorry I assumed Covid payment was been paid until after Xmas

Just curious, what role/industry are you in? Just checking how the hysteria is hitting real jobs now in reality. Of course there’s zero coverage of this little inconvenience on MSM but anecdotally you hear it and on here

Xtrail14

Anyone still on the corona would want to be stocking up on ky jelly.

Saz2020

Has anyone received their payment this week. or any update on their MyWelfare account? Thanks in advance

hynesie08

Saz2020 wrote: »

Has anyone received their payment this week. or any update on their MyWelfare account? Thanks in advance

Yeah, payment as normal.....

Dempo1

Xtrail14 wrote: »

Anyone still on the corona would want to be stocking up on ky jelly.

Curious as to what you mean by this comment?, as of yesterday there is 225,000 on PUP, 365, 000 having wages subsidised by the state (costing far more than PUP) 1, 184, 00 receiving enhanced illness benifit, 244,600 on live register & finally tens of thousands who are reduced hours & getting PT social welfare payments , these don't show up on official stats, taking the live register out of equation that's a lot of people in a situation not of their creation, not entirely sure if KY Jelly would be of any benifit.

kerryjack

Saz2020 wrote: »

Has anyone received their payment this week. or any update on their MyWelfare account? Thanks in advance

No payment this morning ulster bank no notification on mywelfare.

Dempo1

kerryjack wrote: »

No payment this morning ulster bank no notification on mywelfare.

Sounds like a bank issue, if you have full mygov account you can check payment history & details, it will show if payment processed, sadly basic mywelfre accounts don't appear to have this facility.