Following the announcement by the Government last week that indoor hospitality may reopen from today, the Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe TD, reminds businesses who may now reopen that they can make a claim for an enhanced restart Covid Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS) payment.
Under the scheme, businesses may claim for the restart payment within eight weeks of the date of re-opening. Claims can be made via the claim portal in respect of CRSS, which is available via the eRepayments system on ROS. Revenue has updated their guidelines to assist businesses and these can be found at this link.
The enhanced restart payments are provided for in the Finance (Covid-19 and Miscellaneous Provision) Act, which was signed into law on 19 July. Businesses who qualified for CRSS that are reopening after 2nd June are eligible for an enhanced ‘restart week’ payment, which will cover a period of three weeks at double the normal rate. This will assist them with the additional costs of reopening.
The Minister said: ‘The CRSS has proved to be a significant support for businesses that were affected by public health regulations, which meant that they had to restrict access to their premises. The Act gives enhanced support to these businesses on reopening and I would encourage them to apply for the triple week payment at double the normal rate’.
As at 15th July, there were 22,800 businesses with 26,800 premises registered for CRSS with Revenue (this includes those at applicant stage). Of these, 12,300 have claimed ‘restart’ weeks and are now trading without the support of CRSS.
The Minister added: ‘It is great to see the number of businesses that were supported throughout the period of restricted access now reopening and no longer needing access to CRSS for support. A total of €655 million has been paid to businesses under the CRSS since its introduction in the Budget last year. The weekly amount being paid is now reducing significantly as businesses reopen’.
“The Government and I have always committed that there would be no cliff edge to supports. Businesses that are no longer eligible for CRSS because they have reopened have the withdrawal of this support eased by the enhanced payments on reopening. I see this as part of the gradual unwinding of business supports, which will progressively return our public finances to a sustainable position while supporting the economic recovery.”
For more information, see here.
