We were in contact with the Department of Social Protection recently in relation to a query regarding freelance workers and the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP).
We received the following information in response:
The amount anybody can earn through self-employment over an eight-week period and retain their full COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment is up to €960 gross.
The €960 limit is based on gross income (before tax and PRSI) minus expenses:
- They do not need to formally apply to or notify the Department that they wish to avail of this earnings allowance of up to €960 gross earnings over an eight-week period as a self-employed person while retaining their PUP payment. However, they must retain evidence of their earnings and have them available for inspection as they may be asked to provide these in future
- They must also ensure that their earnings are within the threshold of €960 over an eight-week period and must stop their PUP payment should their earnings go above this level
Please note that where they may be working part-time (up to 24 hours per week in self-employment), but are earning more €960 over an eight-week period, a new scheme, the COVID-19 Part Time Job Incentive for the Self-Employed is a further support available to self-employed people who are in receipt of the COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment or a Jobseeker’s payment and are resuming self-employment part time.
There are a wide range of income supports available to a self-employed person from the department.
Please click the links above for more information.
Should you have any further queries please contact artistspup@welfare.ie
