Nearly 7,000 applications for BEAT payments

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 Wednesday, June 3, 2020 - 09:06

*Following a series of questions by Daniel Feetham, there were a numbe of answers from the Chief Minister, as follows:

According to the BEAT database for the month of April 2020, the Government has received 6,664 applications net of duplicates and erroneous entries made by applicants.

Out of the 6,664 applications received, the Government has rejected 379 applications. From this 379, some are being reconsidered by way of appeal. This figure may reduce further once these appeals are determined but the success rate of appeals to date has proven to be relatively low.

REJECTIONS

Rejections are made by either the Employment Service or the Income Tax Office and are related to requirements under the Appropriation (Business Employee Assistance Terms COVID-19) Regulations 2020.

These extend to include applications which relate to invalid sectors, unregistered employees, directors and self-employed persons not compliant with tax and social insurance obligations and applicants exceeding the permitted other income threshold in accordance with these regulations.

OVER 6,000 BEAT PAYMENTS APPROVED, MAINLY FOR SPANIARDS

A total of 6,285 BEAT payments have been approved. This includes both employees and self-employed persons.

Further analyses can be provided as follows:

BEAT payments to employees 5,854

BEAT payments to self-employed persons 431

The 5,854 employees broadly represent a total of 873 employers.

The nationality across the main categories of the 5,854 employees is as follows:

British (including British Gibraltarian) 1,554 (27%)

Spanish 3,301 (56%)

Portuguese 249 (4%)

Moroccan 119 (2%)

Others 631 (11%)

ASSISTING BUSINESSES AND EMPLOYEES

The GSLP Liberal Government has agreed measures with the GSD Opposition that extend, in principle, until the end of June 2020. These include the measures which are aimed at assisting businesses and measures which are designed to assist employees.

To that extent, the position in relation to the period up to the end of June is already provided for and agreed with the GSD.

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