AQW 13496/17-22

Mr Stewart Dickson
Alliance Party
East Antrim

Tabled Date: 27/01/2021
Answered On Date: 26/02/2021
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for the Economy for an update on recouping grant payments made in error as part of the £10,000 Coronavirus Small Business Support Grant scheme.

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. The Project will deliver a programme of further analysis and testing of payments made which will, in turn, inform a recovery strategy and an ultimate assessment of the Scheme’s impact.