Covid 19 PUP - Self-Employed only

ATC110 wrote: »

Has anyone received a decision on their appeal against the weekly PUP rate reduction?

I received a secure email on 2nd July through MyWelfare stating the payment was being reduced with an appeals address of:

COVID 19 Unemployment Payments
PO Box 12896
Dublin 1

I appealed in writing on 2nd July by registered post but have yet to receive a reply.

I see on Money Guide Ireland there is an email option to PUPRerate@welfare.ie OR write to: PUP Rerate Requests, DEASP, Intreo Centre, Cork Road, Waterford.

Does anyone know if the Dublin PO Box address is valid?

My 2018 income was above the €200 PW threshold but the DEASP has taken my income net of capital allowances which brought it below the threshold.

I have appealed pointing out the overheads the capital allowances are based on still have to be paid for whether I'm earning or not and need to be retained if there is any hope of my reestablishing a viable business.

Nothing from my side yet either.

My situation is slightly different in that I only became self-employed in January 2019.

I worked full time as an employee in 2018 (earning over €199 per week) so assumed mine had been cut as I hadn’t paid any self-employment tax for that year.

But, as I pointed out, how could I have paid self-employment tax for 2018 if I only became self-employed the following year? I couldn’t have and therefore I explained this and felt I shouldn’t be discriminated against on that basis.

The Covid helpline agreed and said I should appeal as every case would be looked at individually so I sent in my P21/Statement of Liability for 2018 as proof of earnings to the requested email.

This was last Monday and still not a peep back!

HereinBray wrote: »

My original issue - posted on the other thread

Hi there,

Anyone had a similar issue?

I applied for the COVID PUP at the end of June as a self employed individual. I was denied as they didn't have evidence of PRSI payments. I forwarded on proof on monday - but haven't heard anything back.

Would anyone have a phone number I could try? I don't want to go past July 13th as that seems to be a date mentioned on the radio etc.

Thanks very much

HIB

Today's update:

I rang the 1890 number this morning and there seems to be some confusion around self employed people and being employees of their own company.
They can see that my PRSI contributions are up to date so I would qualify for the payment. They are escalating the issue and hopefully I'll get payment shortly.
This was Athlone btw. They also said to contact my Community Welfare Officer for payment in the meantime.

Cross those fingers!

HIB

That’s great you heard something back! Fingers crossed for you (and make sure you get it backdated when the time comes as you were entitled to it originally!).

I spoke to a lovely woman on the helpline today who said they’d been fielding calls all morning from the self-employed - she did say she’d call me back to try and see when I could even roughly expect a response so I’ll wait to see what she comes back with.

Have any self employed sole traders still trading received the PUP??
I had enquired on the other thread on behalf of my husband who was told back in April he wasn't entitled to PUP. He's always been self employed on a sole trader basis, had his work and earnings dramatically reduced due to Covid but continued to work albeit considerably less.
His tax affairs are in order.
A poster replied with all the links to gov.ie. showing eligibility for self employed who are still trading but whose earnings are considerably reduced.
But he was told again this week that he is not entitled to PUP. He can only apply for JSA. We would not get this as it is means tested.

I really don't understand how this works. It clearly states on gov.ie that self employed still trading reduced earnings can apply but then I don't know anyone who seems to be entitled?
Also, how is it remotely acceptable in the context of employment supports for other citizens for the Government to treat self employed sole traders in this way when their incomes have been decimated and they are hanging on to whatever business they can retain?

I know people who are getting the PUP and their employee spouses who stopped taking a salaries from their company ( not sole traders) but they are still trading just not drawing a salary.

WAW wrote: »

Have any self employed sole traders still trading received the PUP??
I had enquired on the other thread on behalf of my husband who was told back in April he wasn't entitled to PUP. He's always been self employed on a sole trader basis, had his work and earnings dramatically reduced due to Covid but continued to work albeit considerably less.
His tax affairs are in order.
A poster replied with all the links to gov.ie. showing eligibility for self employed who are still trading but whose earnings are considerably reduced.
But he was told again this week that he is not entitled to PUP. He can only apply for JSA. We would not get this as it is means tested.

I really don't understand how this works. It clearly states on gov.ie that self employed still trading reduced earnings can apply but then I don't know anyone who seems to be entitled?
Also, how is it remotely acceptable in the context of employment supports for other citizens for the Government to treat self employed sole traders in this way when their incomes have been decimated and they are hanging on to whatever business they can retain?

I know people who are getting the PUP and their employee spouses who stopped taking a salaries from their company ( not sole traders) but they are still trading just not drawing a salary.

Was he told that over the phone via the PUP Covid helpline?

Depending on who you get, those on the helpline always tell you something different when it comes to the self-employed.

I've always gone by the instructions on the gov.ie website – and was told to do this multiple times.

I'd tell him to apply for the payment online anyhow. For the self-employed, there's a box where you can give more details about your situation and let them access on that basis.

From March/April, it's always been written on the website that you can apply for PUP as a sole trader if your earnings have been significantly reduced – and it's still up there now, so that's what I'd follow tbh. It's all there in writing if they were to ever come back on it.

Those helplines are terrible, they seem to only know what to tell you if you tick a certain set of boxes.

HereinBray wrote: »

Looks like I spoke/typed too soon earlier on in the week.

Still nothing on my COVID payment. I emailed the PUPRerate@welfare.ie address to see if there was any update - for the first time I received an auto reply email stating that they were dealing with a huge amount of emails and would respond in due course.

Anyone else had any luck? Coming up on three weeks now at this stage.

Thanks a mill

HIB

Hi
If you have no income at all and very little savings you can go to the CWO in the meantime to get a SWA to keep you going until it’s sorted out.

Tried the CWO today and I have too much savings to qualify. They're going to send me out a form to apply anyway.

Still no response from Welfare either. You wouldn't want to be in desperate need.....

HIB

Hi there,

I messaged Conor Pope on Twitter to see if he had heard of any issues with the welfare payments to self employed. Worth a shot!

Will keep you posted.

HIB

Dempo1 wrote: »

Just curious, why would you assume income from abroad would be considered?

I pay taxes on it here and live in Ireland.

Snow_White1987 wrote: »

A friend of mine (self-employed) got an email late this afternoon saying she wasn’t eligible for the higher rate - she’s the first person I know to get a reply and we both emailed around the same time originally. Hopefully that means we’ll hear something soon!

When did you send the email?

splinter65 wrote: »

Your entitlement to benefits here in Ireland is based on PRSI contributions made here in relevant tax years and has no connection to the tax you pay here.

Fair enough. I just didn't think they were basing it on PRSI contributions, that was probably naive. I just thought it was based on income.

Yes, quite a few are receiving replies at least but anyone I know has been told no - still no reply my side but maybe those eligible will follow...

Dempo1 wrote: »

Looks like they've reduced your PUP payment based on earning for 2018, there's no other type of payment unless you've applied for JSA/JSB

Yeah, I definitely earned more than 10K but the PRSI stuff seems to have affected things for me...

torrevieja wrote: »

Just to be certain there accessing this Covid Payment on 2018 figures
I'm Self employed and My problem is for that year I had much bigger expenses this year compared to the last 5 years. even 2019 ,

So this particular year I had to get a new engine for my van etc ,

My expenses were high
Even though I earned 26,000, which brought this net earnings under 10, 000,
Is this worth appealing the Covid payment drop under these circumstances as I had to get this done and I paid my vat tax etc

Thanks in advance

I would appeal just for the sake of it, you never know someone may make a mistake and it falls in your favour. Is it likely to succeed, probably not. The data is supplied by Revenue and the rule is crystal clear, below €10,556 for the year is €203 and equal to or above €10,556 is €350.

64869923 wrote: »

Anyone hear anything back yet?

Nothing yet from my side - over three weeks later!

A fellow self-employed heard back and the answer was no but I don’t know anyone who’s actually heard back about a successful appeal either.

Lots of no or no reply at all so far it seems...