Whats your best Guess

[taxi1990]

you mean August is pessimistic?

until the pubs just serving alcohol open, it will be dead enough where I live. I doubt there will be many foreign tourists around either.

[Rat Catcher]

Optimistic in terms of the €350 still being paid. I reckon the pubs will be officially open before August with the physical distancing aspect of social distancing reduced to 1 metre.

[mercenary for hire]

August 10 is the current end date.
https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/3baec-minister-doherty-announces-pandemic-unemployment-payment-to-continue/#:~:text=Payment%20extended%20to%2010th%20August,Payment%20until%2010th%20August%202020.

[Rat Catcher]

Cool. Haven't read it, is there any nasty small print?

[mercenary for hire]

No I didn't really read it fully myself.It's been passed into legislation until August 10 so I won't be thinking of going back until then.

They just extended the original offering as far as I can see.

[watty]

August 10 is the current end date.
https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/3baec-minister-doherty-announces-pandemic-unemployment-payment-to-continue/#:~:text=Payment%20extended%20to%2010th%20August,Payment%20until%2010th%20August%202020.

It's worser than that depending on what you declared in your income tax:

The introduction, from Phase 3 of the Roadmap (29th June), of a two level payment structure to link the Pandemic Unemployment Payment level to prior earnings;

Prior earnings of €199.99/week is the cutoff (€350 v. €203).  No mention of self-employed but I presume it applies to us as well.

[mercenary for hire]

I think I netted more than 199 per week.But not in the previous months of 2020.I'll scrape by on the 203 if I have to.

[Rat Catcher]

My income after tax (PRSI/USC) & pension contributions for 2018 was €10,510.04. Divided by 52 that gives me €202.12/week. Happy days!

[watty]

@RC: maybe you can answer this.  In theory, we're all supposed to submit 'real' unemployment applications forms at some stage.  Given a lot of taxi drivers are married with partners who work, is there not a good chance that a lot of men won't meet the criteria for the 'real' dole and be asked to pay back some/all of the €350.  That question has been in the back of my mind since the start.

[taxi1990]

you mean August is pessimistic?

until the pubs just serving alcohol open, it will be dead enough where I live. I doubt there will be many foreign tourists around either.

Id say I will stick it out until 10 August so.

[Rat Catcher]

Jobseekers Benefit isn't means tested so, regardless of your partner's income, you can get €203 if your 2018 income equates to €300+/week or a reduced rate if not. Jobseekers Allowance is means tested so you probably won't get a lot, if anything, if your partner or others in your household are earning.

But that's not what you're getting at. Your concern may (or may not) be overly prudent. They did say at the outset that if your regular dole works out higher than the €350 the balance would be paid and backdated. They gave the impression that there would/will be no balancing where your regular dole is less than PUP. However, at the outset PUP was backdated, that stopped quite sharpish once the bean counters weighed so... In short, your guess is as good as mine but I'd take a less prudent view and assume that if they do seek repayments they won't pursue them with sufficient tenacity to get anything unless you have a future claim from which they can apply the "usual" (up to 15%) deduction.

[dalymount]

The living alone allowence has ALSO changed for any of you pensioners on here.it was the case that you did not qualify for household benefits package,where you didnt get a % off your gas,or electricity ,your choice to nominate one or the other,plus free TV licence.this has now changed since January,you can now have others living with you,and qualify for these benefits once you get a state pension

[watty]

Thanks, RC.  The 2nd paragraph is what I was thinking of.  With the €350, I'm threading water, so to speak, & not earning any money/profit.  If they started looking for money back, that would put me back under water and that would be a kick in the nuts!  Esp 'cause I have to get a new (to me) taxi by mid-2022.

[Shallowhal]

@RC: maybe you can answer this.  In theory, we're all supposed to submit 'real' unemployment applications forms at some stage.  Given a lot of taxi drivers are married with partners who work, is there not a good chance that a lot of men won't meet the criteria for the 'real' dole and be asked to pay back some/all of the €350.  That question has been in the back of my mind since the start.

I think a lot of taxi drivers...(except the FN drivers on over 100k per annum) would qualify for FIS.

[watty]

That's the thing.  Unless you know the lingo, you're screwed.  Most everything is done over the internet nowadays but I bet if you went into the SW offices, the SW officials wouldn't volunteer stuff like that?