I'm self employed and due to the Covid-19 situation, like a lot of people & self employed, my business is essentially on hold until this passes - so zero income. I applied last week for the government payment, the day after they made the announcement. Just wondering if any other self employed people have done the same, and actually received it yet. As of this morning (24th) nothing yet! I know they said it starts getting paid out today...so just wondering!
Self Employed €203 Payment
- Thread starter myate
- Start date
Is this the link...?
services.mywelfare.ie
Do we also have to make a Jobseekers application in order to qualify for the payment?
Thanks
D.
COVID-19 Services
<p>Apply for payment if you have been affected by COVID19. You can also close your Pandemic Unemployment Payment</p>
services.mywelfare.ie
Do we also have to make a Jobseekers application in order to qualify for the payment?
Thanks
D.
Only need to fill in the UP1/JSB form if you have adult and children dependants (may get extra payment for them) OR are going to be impacted beyond the 6 weeks (which could be extended) e.g. self employed people with work contracts have been cancelled for the rest of the year, can fill in both forms so JSB can kick in after 6 weeks... and sign off whenever they get back to work.
Has anyone figured out the exact meaning of the criteria for self employed/ sole traders in https://www.gov.ie/en/service/be74d3-covid-19-pandemic-unemployment-payment/
Specifically last criteria: if you are self-employed and have ceased trading due to the pandemic.
What does 'cease trading' mean? Simply issue no invoices/ make no sales? Or close down the business entirely? And then start up again?
What about the many who will have significantly reduced income but still some customers to deal with??
Specifically last criteria: if you are self-employed and have ceased trading due to the pandemic.
What does 'cease trading' mean? Simply issue no invoices/ make no sales? Or close down the business entirely? And then start up again?
What about the many who will have significantly reduced income but still some customers to deal with??
Baby boomer
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I applied online at mywelfare.ie today. (You need to have a MyGovID account already set up.) Got an acknowledgement notification straightaway:
"Thank you for your recent Emergency Payments application. Your application has been submitted and is awaiting review from an officer.
If you are applying for COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment, you will also need to apply for Jobseekers. Start your application now.
Please note applications are processed in order of received date and we aim to process your application within 7 days. Payments will issue to your bank account once processed."
Ok, so far so good. A couple of questions and comments though.
1. The online form is clearly designed for employees and asks for your employers name and address and telephone. I just entered "self-employed" in the field for employer and put down my own address and phone number.
2. My work has dried up completely as my clients are all closed or closing. However, it's not beyond the bounds of possibility that I will do some preparation for future work, prepare materials in anticipation, marketing, housekeeping, accounts, that kind of thing. So, strictly speaking, I'm hardly unemployed, more like keeping the business ticking over in a quiescent state, ready to pick up again whenever. Presumably, this doesn't disqualify me from the payment, but should I explicitly tell the Department this? I just want to be straightforward and upfront.
3. Is the emergency payment liable to Income Tax and USC?
"Thank you for your recent Emergency Payments application. Your application has been submitted and is awaiting review from an officer.
If you are applying for COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment, you will also need to apply for Jobseekers. Start your application now.
Please note applications are processed in order of received date and we aim to process your application within 7 days. Payments will issue to your bank account once processed."
Ok, so far so good. A couple of questions and comments though.
1. The online form is clearly designed for employees and asks for your employers name and address and telephone. I just entered "self-employed" in the field for employer and put down my own address and phone number.
2. My work has dried up completely as my clients are all closed or closing. However, it's not beyond the bounds of possibility that I will do some preparation for future work, prepare materials in anticipation, marketing, housekeeping, accounts, that kind of thing. So, strictly speaking, I'm hardly unemployed, more like keeping the business ticking over in a quiescent state, ready to pick up again whenever. Presumably, this doesn't disqualify me from the payment, but should I explicitly tell the Department this? I just want to be straightforward and upfront.
3. Is the emergency payment liable to Income Tax and USC?
I think no2 would be the reality for most sole traders but is this what the Dept means?? When I think of 'cease trading', the term implies shutting up shop completely, what you do if you're closing down your business. And that's quite a lot to do and undo in a month or two to get going again.
Re No3, I read it as a tax free social welfare payment but is that right??
Re No 3 and bearing in mind that normal rules don't seem to be applying or may not for a while, Jobseekers Benefit is normally a taxable payment, in general most benefits are and most means tested allowances are not. But if you do have a taxable benefit you are able to also claim the PAYE tax credit even if self employed which usually balances it out especially on a short term basis.
Baby boomer
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Surely not? If you're self employed, you get the Earned Income tax credit of €1500. The PAYE credit is €1650. If you qualify for both, you get the higher. Can't see Revenue giving you the cumulative benefit of both! Then again, we live in strange times...
It has been the case that if you are claiming a taxable benefit you also can claim the PAYE credit up to the amount of tax paid so if you are only liable for 500 say tax on the benefit that is all of the credit you can claim. This was the case up to last accounts I did anyway for my daughter as she had Maternity Benefit which is a taxable benefit so was also entitled to portion of PAYE credit. As the Earned Income credit only started in recent years maybe they are changing that until it's up to the PAYE allowance level, always working behind for accounts so it was different anyway.
I applied as per the others on this thread.
As with BabyBoomer, my confirmation (no reply) email arrived immediately.
I also saw the bit about having to apply for Job Seekers, but I haven't filled that in yet.
I suspect that this is going to be a mess before it gets better. Many reasonable questions being posted above about what constitutes self-employed being unemployed.
We shall see. I await Welfare's reply.
D.
Baby boomer
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Surprised that some explicit criteria weren't included. This is done for the Covid 19 Wage Subsidy scheme where the employer must self-certify a 25% decrease in turnover.
Maybrick above asks a very pertinent question: what are you supposed to do if your income drops from say, 1000 to 400 per week. If that's not sufficient to qualify you, what is? €250pw, €100, €50, €10? Where does one draw the line? What if you have sizeable invoices issued (or about to issue) for work done but the pipeline of work is dry? Actually, that issue arises too for the Wage Subsidy scheme, now that I think of it.
So many questions; so few answers. I do think though that the spirit of the thing is to help people and the guidelines are intended to place people in scope rather than outside of scope. I imagine it's likely that the normal rigid approach to such things will be set aside and claims will be paid on a good faith basis. With grey areas resolved in favour of the claimant.
Being self employed/sole trader is always a tricky one. My business is essentially closed up, no money coming in, and until this blows over it wont come in. Now when it does get back to normal, my business will continue where it left off before this kicked off big time. I'm hoping the Covid payment is enough for then...I have no intention (yet) of looking for job seekers after, but who knows how long this will go on for. Like Maybrick, I thankfully would earn more than the €350 per week, but that would amount would help out no end to pay mortgage.
I know it's a big ask, but why can't Revenue get involved, as they know exactly what we all earn, or at least they do via our last tax return.
I applied via paper form through the post, on Tuesday 17th...no payment has come into my account yet. We'll see tomorrow.
I know it's a big ask, but why can't Revenue get involved, as they know exactly what we all earn, or at least they do via our last tax return.
I applied via paper form through the post, on Tuesday 17th...no payment has come into my account yet. We'll see tomorrow.
I think many of us are in this situation but it's very hard to get a clear answer at the moment. In fairness 'self employed' covers many different situations, so perhaps that's understandable. Our sales have fallen significantly but I'd be very loathe to stop fulfilling the odd online order and putting out the idea that we're out of business. The government message seems to be that businesses small & large are to be supported so that they can kick back into gear when things pass over. That seems to be the spirit of the message so I think the best thing is to apply and take it from there. The worst than can happen is that the Dept of Social Protection will investigate rigorously in months to come and demand some of their few bob back. It's a simple one page application but I have heard that a more detailed document may follow for self employed/ sole traders. On other hand, hard to see the state investigating the accounts of several thousand individual sole traders to figure this out. On top of which they would get a right kicking in the media given the circumstances.