Since March, some independents indirectly affected by the measures to fight the coronavirus have been entitled to financial assistance. However, they continue to cash it even if they work again as before or almost.
Hairdressers, taxi drivers and other owners of small independent businesses are concerned.
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Hairdressers have been allowed to cut their hair again for four months. Although they must wear a mask at work, salons have regained their clientele. Taxi drivers and small traders also work 100%.
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However, some of these self-employed workers benefit from corona aid, although they have returned to work in full for a long time, notes “Blick” on Friday. These people receive up to 196 francs per day, since the decline of their activity, that is to say at the earliest since March 17. This measure was extended on July 1 until mid-September. They thus benefit from the establishment of a safety net to prevent them from becoming massively impoverished.
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Very few waivers
According to the research of the German-speaking daily, they would be barely 4% to have announced themselves not to touch any more this aid whose total amount allocated in Switzerland amounts to 1 billion francs. In Zurich alone, 31,000 people have announced themselves to receive this aid, but only 1,200 have indicated that, since they were working full time again, they were giving it up. In the cantons of Lucerne and St. Gallen, the proportion of waivers is 2% and 7% respectively, while in Bern a third of beneficiaries waived them.
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“Very few self-employed people announce themselves to renounce their right to the corona allowance”, confirms Andreas Dummermuth, president of the Conference of cantonal compensation funds. These funds come from the AVS compensation fund.
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A fifth of Swiss SMEs have taken out Covid-19 loans guaranteed by the Confederation to ensure their liquidity. A total of 16.8 billion francs were paid out. In 845 cases, checks were carried out on suspicion of abuse. To read here.
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Call to responsibility
National Councilor Andri Silberschmidt (PLR / ZH) accuses the authorities of squandering tax money. “The authorities should have given up on this aid as soon as the semi-containment is over,” he says. He accuses the authorities of squandering the money that should go to people who really need it.
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The Confederation is aware that the system can be subject to abuse. “It certainly does not work perfectly,” admits Harald Sohns of the Federal Social Insurance Office (OFAS). But it is simply impossible to examine each case individually. ” It relies on the self-employed to take their responsibilities and behave in a spirit of solidarity.
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