Irish Taxi Forum
Public Area => Taxi Talk => Topic started by: john m on August 03, 2020, 06:11:56 pm
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A taxi driver who had been in receipt of the controversial Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) and closed his claim voluntarily was informed a month later that his payment had been stopped as social welfare inspectors had “observed” him operating his taxi.
The man in question, who is based in Dublin, had first claimed the PUP one week after it was first introduced on March 16 at a lower rate of €203 per week, in line with standard jobseeker’s benefit.
He ceased his own claim three weeks later on April 13 after perceiving via a change in the qualifying criteria that he was no longer eligible for the payment because his self-employed business had not ceased trading completely.
On May 7, however, he received a letter from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection (DEASP), the State department with responsibility for administering the PUP, stating that, per its records, he was “currently in receipt of the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment”.
“On April 5 you were observed by social welfare inspectors operating as a taxi for hire in Dublin city centre or County,” the letter read, adding “it would now appear you currently have an income from employment and are not entitled to be receiving a Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment and this payment has now been discontinued”.
However, it would appear that such criteria, should the man have still been in receipt of the payment, would not have applied to him regardless given he, much like the majority of taxi drivers in Ireland, is self-employed.
Self-employed people who pay themselves as PAYE workers are entitled to claim the alternate Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS), operated as an employer support by the Revenue Commissioners.
The remainder in self-employment are supposed to apply for the PUP. However the criteria for same have altered on a number of occasions.
At present, the criteria for eligibility for self-employed persons are that their trading income has ceased due to Covid-19, or it has “collapsed to the extent that you are available to take up other full-time employment if it was offered”. “You may… receive a payment for so long as you are available to take up other work,” the online guidance reads.
The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection was asked what the protocols are for checking whether or not claimants are receiving income from other sources given inspectors are known to be monitoring Ireland’s ports of entry together with the case of the taxi driver in question. The department was further asked how many claims have been shut off in the same manner.
No response had been received at the time of publication.
Law student Roman Shortall said that the details of the taxi driver’s claim show that DEASP “are making up the rules as they go along”.
“The key point is that a week after the man had applied they had people out hunting for fraudulent claims,” he said. Mr Shortall himself recently complained to the DEASP after being asked for his personal details at Dublin Airport by representatives from the department including gardaí on secondment, an interaction which subsequently saw his wife’s child benefit payment stopped.
“Another issue is how the department came upon the man’s data in the first place,” he said. “Are they actively taking all taxi numbers and then matching them with the NTA (National Transport Authority) and trying to get a match with their PPS number?” he queried.
The PUP has been beset by controversy over the past two weeks after it emerged that those in receipt of the payment were no longer permitted to leave the country and must be “actively seeking work”, despite no legislation having been passed at the time to that effect.
https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-40026527.html (https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-40026527.html)
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If his income has collapsed to the extent that he is available to take up other full-time employment if it was offered he should phone the dept and explain his circumstances. In the unlikely event that they refuse to reinstate his puppy dole he should contact his local SPBP representative.
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Idiot reporter hasent a fucking clue ...he writes (The man in question, who is based in Dublin, had first claimed the PUP one week after it was first introduced on March 16 at a lower rate of €203 per week, in line with standard jobseeker’s benefit.) So he claimed the Dole You cannot work and claim unemployment .It was not the PUP he claimed .
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He ceased his own claim three weeks later on April 13 after perceiving via a change in the qualifying criteria that he was no longer eligible for the payment because his self-employed business had not ceased trading completely.
- Sounds like he was working and claiming...
He signed off the PUP on 13th April but on 7th May, SW wrote to him and said he was “currently in receipt of the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment”. Also, "“On April 5 you were observed by social welfare inspectors operating as a taxi for hire in Dublin city centre or County"
- Sounds like SW are entitled to ask for (some of) the money back because he was working and claiming? They were just very slow in sending the letter out.
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According to the report he applied for PUP, which at the time was paid at a rate "in line with" standard Jobseekers Benefit i.e. €203.00/week, erm.
That's pretty clear.
Furthermore you can work and claim "Unemployment". Most of the full time men legitimately claimed Jobseekers Allowance while working during the last recession. The rules have not changed in the interim:
https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/unemployed_people/self_employed_and_unemployment.html (https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/unemployed_people/self_employed_and_unemployment.html)
Jobseeker's Allowance (JA) is a weekly payment from DEASP to jobseeker's. To get Jobseeker’s Allowance you must be habitually resident and pass a means test. If you are self-employed, you may be entitled to Jobseeker's Allowance depending on your earnings from your business. You do not need to close your business or stop working as self-employed for you to get Jobseeker’s Allowance and you don't have to be unemployed for at least 4 out of 7 days
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203 is dole not PUP .
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At the time he applied PUP was €203.00 "in line with" the standard rate of Jobseekers Benefit. Dr. Leo increased PUP to €350 the next week.
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According to the report he applied for PUP, which at the time was paid at a rate "in line with" standard Jobseekers Benefit i.e. €203.00/week, erm.
That's pretty clear.
Furthermore you can work and claim "Unemployment". Most of the full time men legitimately claimed Jobseekers Allowance while working during the last recession. The rules have not changed in the interim:
https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/unemployed_people/self_employed_and_unemployment.html (https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/unemployed_people/self_employed_and_unemployment.html)
Jobseeker's Allowance (JA) is a weekly payment from DEASP to jobseeker's. To get Jobseeker’s Allowance you must be habitually resident and pass a means test. If you are self-employed, you may be entitled to Jobseeker's Allowance depending on your earnings from your business. You do not need to close your business or stop working as self-employed for you to get Jobseeker’s Allowance and you don't have to be unemployed for at least 4 out of 7 days
o get Jobseeker's Benefit (Self-Employed) you must stop all self-employment activity. However, you can work as an employee for up to 3 days each week and continue to get Jobseeker's Benefit (Self-Employed).
If you don't qualify for Jobseeker's Benefit (Self-Employed) you may qualify for Jobseeker's Allowance.
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As above, you do not need to close your business or stop working as self-employed for you to get Jobseeker’s Allowance and you don't have to be unemployed for at least 4 out of 7 days.
That's how most full time taxi drivers who needed the job to feed their families anall drove their taxis full time during the last recession while on the scratcher. The rules are still the same.
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At the time he applied PUP was €203.00 "in line with" the standard rate of Jobseekers Benefit. Dr. Leo increased PUP to €350 the next week.
Well then he should be ok .Unless they play the Joker .How can you be available to take up alternative work if you are already working ?Plus how do you define financial hardship .
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The article makes little or no sense
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Unless they play the Joker .How can you be available to take up alternative work if you are already working ?Plus how do you define financial hardship .
The same way you can be available for work and painting your kitchen or watching the horses on your television. The same applies to Jobseekers Allowance... by definition you have to be a Jobseeker to claim it but you can still drive a cab 11 hours a day if you wish provide3d you're making little or no profit.
Financial hardship doesn't come into it. It could be years before someone who's been driving a cab for a couple of years gets to that point. There is, however, a good case for subjecting PUP claims to means testing - like JA - going forward... and I wouldn't rule it out with that Mehaul cunt calling the shots... Dr. Leo was great, they should rename Pearse St to Varadkar Road in recognition of his service.
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sounds like he got pranked with a bogey letter (rampant at the moment) and he swollyed it.
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There are genuine letters but they don't say you have an income, they say "you may have" an income. Anywaysanall, you'll know if it's genuine on the next Tuesday. If it is a phone call should sort it, provided your claim is legitimate of course.
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203 is dole not PUP .
The very first week was 203.The bastards said they'd come back and pay the arrears at a later date.Still waiting.....
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Think i signed on the 16 march ,and got paid the €350 two weeks later .
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Productivity increase, I guess... in idling you finally found something at which you excelled... well, I did, anyway!
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I suppose strictly speaking driving around looking for a fare , is "looking for work".
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Desperately Seeking Szechuan.
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Unless they play the Joker .How can you be available to take up alternative work if you are already working ?Plus how do you define financial hardship .
The same way you can be available for work and painting your kitchen or watching the horses on your television. The same applies to Jobseekers Allowance... by definition you have to be a Jobseeker to claim it but you can still drive a cab 11 hours a day if you wish provide3d you're making little or no profit.
Financial hardship doesn't come into it. It could be years before someone who's been driving a cab for a couple of years gets to that point. There is, however, a good case for subjecting PUP claims to means testing - like JA - going forward... and I wouldn't rule it out with that Mehaul cunt calling the shots... Dr. Leo was great, they should rename Pearse St to Varadkar Road in recognition of his service.
But as an expereinced SPSV driver you would know that can't happen. Streets are inside the canals and Roads are outside. Maybe Leo Street?
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You have me thinking now..what about Adelaide road, Harcourt road, Cumberland road and possibly others?
How did the street vs road thing come about anyway?
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You have me thinking now..what about Adelaide road, Harcourt road, Cumberland road and possibly others?
How did the street vs road thing come about anyway?
D.M.P used to patrol inside the canals.
R.I.C outside IIRC.
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How did the street vs road thing come about anyway?
We were discussing the merits of renaming Pearse St to Varadkar Road in recognition of Dr. Leo's handling of the pandemic and perhaps, to a lesser extent, his handling of Brexit.
Maybe they could rename Sherrif St to Martin Road to remind us how Mehaul reduced our puppy dole (not yet but it's coming) and tried to make the bars close at 23:00.
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Thats a bit to the right....
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Gangs terrorising residents around Martin Road - video included:
https://www.dublinlive.ie/news/dublin-news/teen-fight-gangs-video-dublin-18724104 (https://www.dublinlive.ie/news/dublin-news/teen-fight-gangs-video-dublin-18724104)
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Just beside the new Dail too.
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...and even that slum is too good for them! ... except Dr. Leo, he was great!
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How come...Silverbullet has 2 Karma....Iz that cos you know him?
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You have me thinking now..what about Adelaide road, Harcourt road, Cumberland road and possibly others?
How did the street vs road thing come about anyway?
Street and avenue definitions tend to apply to planned cities with grid systems such as New York, in ancient cities such as Dublin it's a bit more arbitrary
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You have me thinking now..what about Adelaide road, Harcourt road, Cumberland road and possibly others?
How did the street vs road thing come about anyway?
Street and avenue definitions tend to apply to planned cities with grid systems such as New York, in ancient cities such as Dublin it's a bit more arbitrary
Berkeley Road or Memorial Road.
A nice read: https://www.dublininquirer.com/2018/08/15/mairtin-dublin-s-street-names-offer-clues-to-the-city-s-culinary-history (https://www.dublininquirer.com/2018/08/15/mairtin-dublin-s-street-names-offer-clues-to-the-city-s-culinary-history)
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There's a Berkeley Road, Street and Avenue. You'd think Avenue would be the fancy one but it's only a laneway.
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There's a Berkeley Road, Street and Avenue. You'd think Avenue would be the fancy one but it's only a laneway.
Apparently you could only call a thoroughfare an avenue if it was lined on both sides with trees.