BEGINS

PRESS RELEASE 

CORONAVIRUS EMPLOYEE STIMULUS CASH GRANT #2

CASH GRANTS PAID TO ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEES WITH TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDER STATUS – OVER 1,130 DISBURSED AS OF TODAY, THURSDAY, 28^TH JANUARY, 2021 AT 12 NOON

The Turks and Caicos Islands Government has today, Thursday, 28th January 2021, disbursed payments to over 1,130 applications from its CORONAVIRUS EMPLOYEE STIMULUS CASH GRANT #2 Programme.

The dashboard indicates 3,129 applications were received.  Of this 1,130 have been disbursed for payment; 558 applications were declined outright, and we continue to await documentation from 583 applicants.

Approximately 850 applications are being processed of which another 300 is expected to be disbursed by January’s month-end.

Recurring challenges have inhibited the progression of payments to eligible applicants as similar issues encountered in Employee Stimulus #1 have been seen in the administration of Employee Stimulus #2. 

The assessors have had to wade through hundreds of applications emanating from persons without Turks and Caicos Islander status and/or have not provided documentation verifying their status as Turks and Caicos Islanders. Some applicants have failed to complete the application properly; omitting employer names, required payslips and providing wrong bank numbers, etc. 

Applicants are encouraged to check their emails for responses from the Compliance Team and to provide outstanding documentation as soon as practical.  Applicants are also being called by a Compliance Officer to be alerted of some of the omissions from the applications that can be easily remedied.  The promptness of the response to these queries will determine how quickly the benefit will progress to payment.

A list of the disbursed applications as of Thursday, 28^th January 2021 can be found on the Turks and Caicos Islands Government website: https://online.fliphtml5.com/pejq/ffqq/#p=1

The Team is working assiduously to progress the remaining approved benefits; total approvals were 1,988 at the time of reporting.

The Coronavirus Employee Stimulus Cash Grant #2 is paid to employees with Turks and Caicos Islander Status only. Employment sectors excluded from the benefit are: TCI public service; TCI statutory bodies; TCI bodies of good governance; TCI constitutional bodies; Hospital, health care or medical facilities; any water, electricity, telecommunications (including internet services) or other sector encompassing the provision of electronic communications including print and electronic media; waste disposal and sanitation companies; and self-employed persons.

The Coronavirus Employee Stimulus Cash Grant #2 will afford cash grants of $600.00 to eligible employees who can provide evidence that they were employed at least one month prior to the lockdown that occurred in March 2020. 

ENDS