# Self-employed pandemic payment/working small part time hours.



## michaelg (24 Jun 2020)

Was chatting with a self employed guy who has been receiving the pandemic payment of 350 euros per week.
He's connected with the music industry and there is not yet enough work for him to sign off the payment.

Last week he had to turn down a days work which would have been worth 100 euros, and again someone has asked him about working a day next week (100 euros).
He would love to go back but there's not enough volume of work yet to sustain him so he's regretfully turning these jobs down.

As the Covid payment is taxable , its a shame that self-employed people cant be out doing jobs and than just pay additional income tax on everything earned (like the universal income idea).

I guess the only other option would be to sign on the dole which allows some people to work part time.

Does anyone think that the 350 payment should be allowed to be treated as a kind of Universal income payment ? it would mean at least more money would be going back to the exchequer


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## lughildanach (26 Jun 2020)

The guidelines for the self-employed about accepting work are not clear about what work they can accept or when they should stop the COVID payment.  The eligibility criteria is that your income has reduced to the point where you are in a position to accept full-time work if this was available.  It is arguable that one day's work would not prevent you from accepting full-time work and therefore would not require you to stop the COVID payment.

There are a number of different definitions of full-time work in the social welfare system, but the most widely known one is based around being available for work for at least 4 days in every 7.  Without more specific guidance, and no statutory rules for COVID payment, it is hard to know how the Department would approach this issue.  For employees, it is clear, when you go back to work on your first day, you must stop the payment.  It is possible that if pushed to clarify the Department would say the same for the self-employed, but they have not done so yet.

I like the idea of a universal income payment, especially from the point of view of minimising administrative costs, but I suspect that it would have unintended consequences (both good and bad)


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