Tag Archives: pup

The unjabbed should not be entitled to a Pandemic Unemplyment Payment (PUP), says Professor Dermot Cox of the Royal College of Surgeons

This morning.

Via Irish Times:

While there may be short-term benefits in a compulsory vaccination for Sars-CoV-2, in the long-term it may undermine the other important vaccination programmes that we have.

People have a right to maintain the confidentiality of their health record and to refuse to receive any medication or treatment no matter how illogical the reason, but society also has a right/obligation to protect itself.

The classic example is smoking. People have a right to smoke but society has insisted that they cannot do it in work, restaurants, public transport etc. Furthermore, we require them to make a financial contribution to their future care in the form of a heavy tax on cigarettes.

Just as with smokers, society has the right to protect itself from infection with Sars-CoV-2 by isolating those who refuse to disclose their vaccine status.

Furthermore, they should not be entitled to the pandemic employment payment as they are not contributing to the fight against Covid-19.

People have a right to dine in a restaurant without being exposed to cigarette smoke or being infected with Sars-CoV-2.

Prof Dermot Cox
School of Pharmacy
and Biomolecular Sciences,
RCSI, Dublin.

Irish Times Letters

Um.

Pat McDonagh, MD of Supermac’s

Last night/this morning.

Supermac’s boss Pat McDonagh has confirmed that the group is now recruiting workers from overseas due to a ‘shortage of Irish applicants’.

Via RTÉ News:

Mr McDonagh said that over the past two months and up to the end of the year, Supermac’s will have recruited over 100 EU workers who do not require work permits from eastern Europe, Italy, Portugal and Spain.

Mr McDonagh stated that one of the reasons for the shortage of workers here is the Government’s Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP).

I think the PUP caused people to get a bit lazy,” he said.

Supermac’s forced to recruit from overseas to fill jobs (RTÉ)

Pic: Supermacs

Meanwhile…

This morning.

Catherine?

You’ve changed.

*turns purple-faced*

Earlier: Obey

Dublin city centre

This morning.

Vie Irish Times:

Restaurateurs have called on the Government to bring forward the phasing-out of pandemic unemployment payments as they struggle to fill “thousands” of vacancies.

The PUP scheme is to be wound down from September but Adrian Cummins, chief of the Restaurants Association of Ireland, said “the Government should bring that forward” in sectors that have fully reopened.

People in two large restaurant groups who spoke on condition of anonymity said there was an acute labour shortage.

If you want a job in Ireland, it’s there for you. That’s across all levels: management, customer service staff, what have you. It’s very difficult. We just can’t get people to work for us,” said a senior figure in one group who cited PUP as a big problem for the sector.

Hospitality industry complains of acute labour shortage (Irish Times)

RollingNews

meanwhile…

Um.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar, and Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan after they launched the Economic Recovery Plan in  Dublin Castle

This afternoon.

In the Daíl at the Convention Centre, Dublin

Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald responds to the the announcement of a gradual tapering off of Pandemic Unemployment Payments (PUP) by €50 from 7 September, with further €50 cuts planned for November 16 and February 8, 2022 as part of the National Recovery Plan.

Meanwhile…

This afternoon.

Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall told the Dáil that the PUP cuts will result in 40% reduction in income by next February and push people onto the breadline.

Via RTE:

She asked the Taoiseach: “Why have you done, what you swore not to do, and will undoubtedly lead more into poverty?”

Ms Shortall said the move would result in a cliff-edge, despite numerous promises.

She said to start cutting the PUP in September was an “arbitrary date” – something which would happen “… no matter what the public health advice or what jobs may or may not be available”.

The Dublin North West TD said that the cut of €50 which was due to take place in September was a 15% cut in payments for “… those who can least afford it”.

Decision to reduce PUP ‘premature and unfair’ – Sinn Féin (RTÉ)

Earlier: Recoverability

RollingNews

 

A queue outside the GPO, O’Connell Street for social welfare payments

This morning

The Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) is expected to close to new entrants from next month and to reduce in instalments of €50 from September.

Via RTE:

The wage subsidy scheme and commercial rates waiver are both expected to continue until at least September.

It is understood the cost of extending these schemes will be around €2bn.

Supports for small and medium sized companies get into the export market will be announced as well as 50,000 training places for digital and green jobs.

Details will also be given on projects to be funded through the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Fund, one of which will be a low cost loan scheme for retrofitting homes.

Govt to lay out roadmap to economic recovery with plan announcement (RTÉ)

RollingNews

This afternoon.

Did you get yours?

Figures released by Revenue last night show that around 420,000 people will be issued with bills as a result of payments they received under the Temporary Wage Subsidy and the Pandemic Unemployment Payment.

71% of those in receipt of the TWSS in 2020 have underpaid tax and will receive a tax bill.

Boo. Hiss.

However…

…Just 33% of those who received the PUP will have to pay up, while 48% will actually be entitled to a refund.

Yay.

Explainer: Why am I getting a tax bill for PUP and TWSS payments? (RTÉ)

RollingNews

 

Um.

Michael O’Regan, veteran Parliamentary Correspondent of The Irish Times, adds gravitas to the rona debate.

Meanwhile…

Good times.

RollingNews

Earlier: Checkpoint Charlies

Mask Cheaters Cheat Us All

From top: Pandemic Unemployment Payment form; Catherine Murphy

Yesterday.

Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy , in a written question, asked the Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe to reveal what orders he has given to the Revenue Commissioners regarding tax liabilities for recipients of the wage subsidy scheme and the Pandemic Unemployment Payment  PUP) .

The Minister for Finance responded:

On 25 September in a public announcement Revenue set out how any tax liability arising on the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS) and the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) will be dealt with.

Revenue officials sent a copy of its press release to my Department for information prior to publication. There was no instruction from me or my officials to Revenue in relation to this matter.

While the expected tax liability should be modest in most cases, the position as set out by Revenue is very welcome and is a further demonstration of how we will continue to work to minimise financial hardship to the greatest extent possible on taxpayers challenged by COVID-19.

While most income is liable to income tax and the Universal Social Charge (USC) and is deducted in real-time as and when the person is paid, the TWSS and PUP payments were not taxed in real-time and are instead liable to income tax and USC at the end of this year.

Revenue will make a Preliminary End of Year Statement available to all employees in January 2021, including those who were in receipt of the TWSS or PUP. The Preliminary End of Year Statement includes information relating to an employee’s income received, including pensions and income from the Department of Social Protection, Community and Rural Development, and the Islands, as well as their tax credit entitlements.

For the tax year 2020, the Statement will also include information on the amounts of TWSS/PUP payments, if any, received by each employee. In addition, the Statement will provide employees with a preliminary calculation of the income tax and USC position for 2020 and will indicate whether their tax position is balanced, underpaid or overpaid for the year.

Upon viewing the Preliminary End of Year Statement through myAccount, which is Revenue’s secure online facility for individual taxpayer services, employees will have an opportunity to update their personal record, declare any additional income and claim any additional tax credits due, for example qualifying health expenses, to arrive at their final liability for 2020.

Where a liability is finalised, individuals may opt to fully or partially pay any income tax and USC liability through the Payments/Repayments facility in myAccount. Where individuals do not opt to fully or partially pay, Revenue will collect the liability by reducing their tax credits over 4 years, interest free. The reduction of tax credits will start in January 2022.

Anyone?

Previously: Liable To Income Tax And PRSI

Rollingnews

This afternoon.

The Department of the Taoiseach, Merrion Street, Dublin 2.

Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe TD provided an update on the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme, and announced details of the taxation of amounts received by employees under the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme and Pandemic Unemployment Payment.

Meanwhile

Anyone?

PUP/TWSS recipients to discover tax liabilities in January – Revenue (RTÉ)

Sam Boal/RollingNews