AQW 9909/17-22

Mr Stewart Dickson
Alliance Party
East Antrim

Tabled Date: 09/11/2020
Answered On Date: 24/02/2021
Priority Written: Yes

Question:
To ask the Minister for the Economy to detail (i) her Department's current estimate of the value of payments made in error in regards to the Coronavirus £10,000 Small Business Support Grant Scheme; and (ii) how this compares with the estimate of the Auditor General of around £13.5 million.

Answer:

The Department for the Economy continues to develop its processes for dealing with ineligible payments that have arisen through the Covid Business Grant schemes. A dedicated Covid Schemes Fraud and Error Oversight Project has been set up to deliver post-payment validation and to provide post-payment assurance on all Covid Business Grant schemes to date. It is too early to say what the final figures for the value of such payments in the £10k Scheme will be and further investigate work needs to be carried out before a final value on ineligible payments can be provided.