Covid 19 Payment - State Pension query

SelfBuild2019

Hi all,

My mother was employed full time, and is also in receipt of the state pension. Given she is over 70, and is now cocooning, she can no longer work for the time being (she is a home help).

Would she qualify for the difference between the Covid unemployment payment and the state pension (approx €100 p/w)?

splinter65

SelfBuild2019 wrote: »

Hi all,

My mother was employed full time, and is also in receipt of the state pension. Given she is over 70, and is now cocooning, she can no longer work for the time being (she is a home help).

Would she qualify for the difference between the Covid unemployment payment and the state pension (approx €100 p/w)?

The covid payment is only for people aged between 18 and 66 so your mother is not entitled to apply.

jippo nolan

splinter65 wrote: »

The covid payment is only for people aged between 18 and 66 so your mother is not entitled to apply.

Just goes to prove how inadequate the State pension is!

muffler

While I missed the start of it there was a lady on the local radio station here in Donegal sometime near the end of last week. She was from either SW or Revenue and was answering listener's questions. One question concerned a man who was on the state pension and had a part time job which he had to give up due to the current crisis and she said that he could claim some form of payment but couldnt do it online and would have to go to his local SW office.

But things are changing almost on a daily basis so id suggest that the OP ring the SW office about this.

splinter65

jippo nolan wrote: »

Just goes to prove how inadequate the State pension is!

The state pension is €248.30. You can get a further €222.50 for your other half. You can get €24.50 for fuel. You get free travel. You get a free tv licence. You get €35 per month electricity allowance. If that’s all you have then you get a medical card too. How much do you think it should be?

Ashleigh1986

Is the €350 paid into your bank account weekly or every fortnight ?

splinter65

muffler wrote: »

While I missed the start of it there was a lady on the local radio station here in Donegal sometime near the end of last week. She was from either SW or Revenue and was answering listener's questions. One question concerned a man who was on the state pension and had a part time job which he had to give up due to the current crisis and she said that he could claim some form of payment but couldnt do it online and would have to go to his local SW office.

But things are changing almost on a daily basis so id suggest that the OP ring the SW office about this.

If someone is on a non con pension reduced due to wages, and loses their job under any circumstances then they can get their pension topped back up to the max.

splinter65

Ashleigh1986 wrote: »

Is the €350 paid into your bank account weekly or every fortnight ?

Weekly

bosco12345

Hi all,
I have a query in regards the Covid-19 payment of 350 euro. I am currently a student and have receive the 350 weekly. However, I am wondering if I will be taxed on this at the end of the year? I've heard some people mention that to not spend it as you will have to repay this money. Is that true? In my part time job I have only earned about 500 euro from the start of January

SelfBuild2019

bosco12345 wrote: »

Hi all,
I have a query in regards the Covid-19 payment of 350 euro. I am currently a student and have receive the 350 weekly. However, I am wondering if I will be taxed on this at the end of the year? I've heard some people mention that to not spend it as you will have to repay this money. Is that true? In my part time job I have only earned about 500 euro from the start of January

It is technically taxable yes. However, by the sounds of it you will fall under the threshold where you start paying tax, so I think you'll be OK

lughildanach

splinter65 wrote: »

The state pension is €248.30. You can get a further €222.50 for your other half. You can get €24.50 for fuel. You get free travel. You get a free tv licence. You get €35 per month electricity allowance. If that’s all you have then you get a medical card too. How much do you think it should be?

350/week for a single person on top of her pension seems a fair amount, given that she has lost her job in the same way that someone under 66 has. Hard to see how the age distinction can be justified.

lughildanach

splinter65 wrote: »

If someone is on a non con pension reduced due to wages, and loses their job under any circumstances then they can get their pension topped back up to the max.

Also, if anyone has been working and receiving a reduced-rate Contributory Pension, they can apply for Non Contributory, which may now be better for them, depending on their circumstances.

splinter65

lughildanach wrote: »

350/week for a single person on top of her pension seems a fair amount, given that she has lost her job in the same way that someone under 66 has. Hard to see how the age distinction can be justified.

Do you can justify a €600 per week income for a single pensioner who mostly likely doesn’t have any rent/mortgage to pay and all of it coming from the State?? Are you mad?

Dodge

lughildanach wrote: »

350/week for a single person on top of her pension seems a fair amount, given that she has lost her job in the same way that someone under 66 has. Hard to see how the age distinction can be justified.

It isn’t an age distinction. It’s a ‘going from have some income to no income’ distinction

So while it’s clearly unfortunate for any over 66s, they’re already in receipt of a payment from the state

And every statistic on the matter shows that those over 65 are far less likely to be at risk of poverty than every other age group anyway

The emergency payment isn’t perfect but pensioners being ineligible isn’t a problem

lughildanach

splinter65 wrote: »

Do you can justify a €600 per week income for a single pensioner who mostly likely doesn’t have any rent/mortgage to pay and all of it coming from the State?? Are you mad?

If they had income from employment before this, and have now lost it, then yes I could absolutely justify it. Just the same as any other person who has lost their job who also has a social welfare income.

Rent and mortgage supports are there for those who need it (from either the State or the bank). If the pensioner doesn't need the housing supports, they won't receive them. If they have lost income from employment, they deserve the same support that workers under 66 have. Its clearly age discrimination.

Quantum Erasure

can a self-employed farmer over 70 apply for this Covid payment due to not being able to carry out their normal job?

edit. or is there any assistance for those meant to be 'cocooning' ?

Peregrinus

lughildanach wrote: »

If they had income from employment before this, and have now lost it, then yes I could absolutely justify it. Just the same as any other person who has lost their job who also has a social welfare income.

Rent and mortgage supports are there for those who need it (from either the State or the bank). If the pensioner doesn't need the housing supports, they won't receive them. If they have lost income from employment, they deserve the same support that workers under 66 have. Its clearly age discrimination.

Paying the old-age pension is itself a form of age discrimination; think about it.

Is it unlawful age discrimination? No. And neither is making the COVID payment to those under 66 but not those over unlawful.

Is it objectionable discrimination? That's a matter of judgment. If you take the view that it's aimed at ensuring a basic income to those forced out of employment by the pandemic then no, it isn't, since an OAP forced out of work already has an assurance of a basic income, due to the age discrimination in their favour inherent in the Old Age Pension itself.

Necro

lughildanach wrote:

Rent and mortgage supports are there for those who need it (from either the State or the bank). If the pensioner doesn't need the housing supports, they won't receive them. If they have lost income from employment, they deserve the same support that workers under 66 have. Its clearly age discrimination.

They have it. It's called the State Contributory Pension. As splinter has already outlined there are already lots of supports in place for the elderly, and you want to top them up even further?

Should people under the age of 66 be allowed claim their pensions early going on your definition of age discrimination?

splinter65

Quantum Erasure wrote: »

can a self-employed farmer over 70 apply for this Covid payment due to not being able to carry out their normal job?

edit. or is there any assistance for those meant to be 'cocooning' ?

https://www.ifa.ie/covid-19-pandemic-unemployment-payment-for-farmers-clarified/?fbclid=IwAR04VvPyQ-6N7a0ipKWjKlWGFALRkSzBU9w3CCyz1Tp0PjUhLIhdqHSNrqo#.XqE4IyXhSEd

https://www.ageaction.ie/sites/default/files/2020-covid-19-hardship-fund-form-final-7_new_deadline.docx