MORE THAN 20,000 employers have registered with Revenue for the government’s temporary wage subsidy to support businesses through the Covid-19 pandemic.

Deputy Assistant Secretary General at the Department of Taoiseach, Elizabeth Canavan, gave an update today on the various supports for employers and for workers. 

The temporary wage subsidy scheme was introduced last Tuesday to enable employers to keep staff on their payroll throughout the pandemic by refunding 70% (up to €410 a week) of the worker’s take home pay.

Canavan said Revenue has made additional resources available to support the increased number of employer who may now need to register for the scheme following last Friday’s announcement of further restrictions.

Almost 20,500 employers are now registered with Revenue for the temporary wage subsidy scheme.

“Revenue generated the first tranche of payments to employers last Friday worth €5.1 million and these payments will be in the bank accounts of the majority of these employers today,” she said. 

Today Revenue has generated further refunds under the scheme worth €8.6 million – these payments will be in the bank accounts of the majority of employers tomorrow.

Unemployment payments

In total (since launch on 16 March), the Department of Social Protection has received and processed 389,000 applications for the Covid-19 unemployment payment.  

Over 283,000 payments related to this scheme are being made this week, Canavan said today.

Payments should be in a bank or post office account tomorrow. This represents 90% of the applications received by Thursday 26 March.

She said 15,000 applications were deemed ineligible for a variety of reasons, for example individuals were not fully employed, are aged under 18 years or were not previously in employment.

Canavan said those who have had their working days reduced can receive support for the lost days based on a jobseekers’ rate of pay.

A further 15,000 incorrectly completed their applications by providing an incorrect PPS number or IBAN – they will be contacted to resolve these matters.