Dole for self employed person

B

bligh

Guest
Can anyone tell me, can a self employed person sign on the dole.
What do you need to do this?
 
Dole

Anyone can sign on at their local Employment Exchange, provided they are unemployed, either fully or partly. There used to be a facility where self-employed people could sign weekly and indicate which days of the previous week they had been working. Payment for these days would then be deducted from their weekly entitlement.

If you have ceased to be self-employed completely, you can of course sign on in the normal way. You should make the claim from your first day of unemployment as it unlikely that a claim will be back-dated to when you say you were unemployed. The payment you receive will depend on your PRSI payment history. To qualify for unemployment BENEFIT you would need to have made a minimum number of PRSI contributions in a particular tax year (at present, I think this would be 2002 - from 1 January, this is likely to change to 2003, etc). If you have paid these contributons and if you satisfy the other conditions (available for and seeking work, etc), you would be entitled to an automatic payment which varies according to the number of dependants you have.

If you have not made sufficient contributions in the given year, you may still be entitled to unemployment ASSISTANCE. This is means-tested and will take into account your persoanl and financial circumstances such as alternative income, savings, outgoings etc.

Even if you don't qualify for either form of payment, it may still be in your interest to sign on for CREDITS. While this would not involve payment, it would help to keep your PRSI record in order which may be of benefit should you ever seek a state-pension. Your local Social Welfare office could advise you on this.
 
Unemployment benefit for self-employed

I am nearly sure that self-employed people pay PRSI at class S and that this class does not entitle you to UB.

Have a look at the Citizens Advice Bureau database:

[broken link removed]

Bubbles

Best thing is to ring your local social welfare office.
 
Re: Unemployment benefit for self-employed

I may be wrong, but I always thought that "the dole" referred to Unemployment Assistance (UA) rather than Unemployment Benefit (for which the beneficiary has already paid through his/her PRSI contributions).

Anyone who satisfies the conditions and means test is entitled to UA.
 
Re: Unemployment benefit for self-employed

As far as I know most or all self employed people will be on class S PRSI which does not provided (non means tested) Unemployment Benefit cover. As such, if they become unemployed they will only be able to apply for (means tested) Unemployment Assistance. See the Department of Social & Family Affairs PRSI and Unemployment pages for more information.
 
Re: Unemployment benefit for self-employed

If you are now unemployed, having previously been self employed, the Department will assess you with earnings that they estimate you will earn in the coming year. The only realsitic way they can do this is to base it on last years earnings. They will divide this by 52 to give a weekly amount and assess this against you.

Your best bet is probably to go to the Community Welfare Officer in your local health centre and claim Supplementary Welfare Allowance. As far as I know they can make a payment based on what your actual weekly earnings are rather than what they estmate you will earn.

More about SWA here www.welfare.ie/foi/swa_meansass.html
 
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