Following the enhancement to the ‘double rate’ restart week payment available to Covid Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS) eligible businesses opening from 2 June 2021, Revenue advised businesses resuming trading to consider when it will be most beneficial for them to make their claim. Once a business makes a claim for the enhanced restart payment it no longer qualifies for CRSS.

The recently announced enhanced restart week payment to support businesses in meeting the costs of reopening as they exit the scheme is paid in a single payment. The maximum restart payment increased from €5,000 per week to €10,000 per week. This allows businesses reopening from 2 June to receive up to a maximum of €30,000. Revenue is operating the changes to the CRSS on an administrative basis pending the enactment of the Finance (Covid-19 and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021, so business can claim the enhanced restart week payment from Friday, 4 June 2021.

Revenue is advising businesses who may resume trading but continue to be subject to “significant restrictions” (e.g., restaurants, bars and cafés), and who do not expect that their turnover will be more than 25 percent of their average weekly turnover in 2019 (or in the case of a new business the average weekly turnover in 2020) not to claim their restart week payment as they remain eligible for the CRSS. Such business can continue to claim normal weekly CRSS payments until their turnover is more than 25 percent or they are no longer subject to restrictions.

Revenue have updated the CRSS guidelines to provide information on the concept of “significant restrictions”.