Thread by @DrNigelClarkeJa

#Thread #CompassionateGrant Approximately $2.65 billion in Compassionate Grant payments, for some 265,000 applicants, has been made to the financial institutions selected by applicants.

Some 77,000 applicants put in bank information that has not been validated. These applicants would have received a text message and they are encouraged to log unto the We CARE website and update their account information.

Many persons selected to receive their Compassionate Grant from remittance companies. I am appealing to beneficiaries to please follow the guidelines of remittance companies who have indicated an orderly procedure for collection. See some examples below:

Crowding at remittance companies risks your health and the health of your family. There is no need to crowd.

Beneficiaries receiving money through the Remittance Agencies are reminded of the requirements for presentation of a GOJ issued picture ID, TRN & Reference number.

Where you do not have a government issued ID and you are on the printed voters list you can contact the Electoral Office of Jamaica, which will be open from Wednesday May 13.

The Government is exploring mechanisms for third party collection of Compassionate Grants for persons over 65 years old.

SET Cash Payments will begin this week. The Auditor General is currently reviewing the list of payees to confirm compliance with the defined eligibility rules and the expectation is that payments will be authorized by Wednesday May 13, 2020.

Just a reminder of the SET Cash Grant rules. The SET Cash Grant is for persons who were terminated after March 10 and whose income is 1.5m or less.

This 1.5m threshold exists as the vast majority of affected employees in the tourism industry have income at or below this threshold and we are targeting the intervention to the majority who are most vulnerable.

Persons who earn above $1.5m and who are on the tax register, and who were laid off may have an opportunity for a unemployment refund as they would have paid taxes in January, February and maybe March on the expectation of earning above the income tax threshold this year..(1/2)

but at the time of being laid off would not have passed the threshold. Please contact Tax Administration Jamaica.

More information will be forthcoming. (2/)

I would like to take this opportunity to remind employers to upload P45 forms for their employees.

If employers put the termination date prior to March 10 the system will reject the application.

Also, the system will first process those laid off in March prior to processing those laid off in April. Payments that are currently being done are for persons laid off between March 10-31, 2020 & then a second round of payments will be those laid off between April 1 & 30, 2020.

Finally, applicants whose employers have submitted a We CARE BEST Cash application on their behalf are not eligible for SET Cash Grants as the Government will be transferring cash to these employers which they will remit to their employees.

These grants are for small businesses that file income tax returns and payroll returns indicating that the small business has at least one employee. Individual owners who have no other employee other than themselves can make a payroll return for themselves.

The size of the Small Business Grant was calibrated to be for businesses that employ other Jamaicans.

Please be reminded that all small businesses, whether or not they employ others are eligible for the Small Business Tax credit of $375,000 introduced for the 1st time this year.

Small Businesses who file taxes will not pay taxes on their first $1.5 million of profit.

Eligibility verification activity for General Grant applicants is now in progress through the collection of Registrants data from the Municipality, Early Childhood, Ministry of Culture and Transport Authority Government bodies.

In some cases, the Auditor General Department is conducting a review / audit of data before payments can be actioned so this may lead to some delays.

It is expected that the verification activities will be completed in May and eligible applicants will be notified accordingly.

The Programme continues to benefit from the strong Customer support response being provided by Sutherland Global with call volumes exceeding three thousand (3,000) calls per day. #WeCare #HelpIsOnTheWay #CompassionateGrant #SETCash #BestCash