Starting a business on JSB

[Stewart]

Ok so here goes. I have registered my company with the CRO and set up a business account with the bank.
I am in receipt of Job Seekers Benefit as is my wife for the last 4 weeks since returning from Australia at the start of December.
I have made inquiries about transferring on to the Short Term Enterprise Allowence which allows you to keep your welfare payment whilst actively sourcing work.
After inquiring about this my case officer in the welfare office advised me that if I was to come off JSB and go on to STEA I would only be entitled to a payment for 242 days and a technical allowence of up to €1000, but if I was to stay on the JSB for 12 months and then start my business I can avail of the Back To Work Allowence which allows welfare payment for 2 years 100% first year 70% second year, tax free with revenue with earnings up to 40k and a technical assistance allowence of up to €2500.
She also mentioned that if I avail of STEA now I can't apply for BTWEA for 5 years.
She was very insistent that I have series think about wanting to go forward with STEA as the resulting benefit (BTWEA) will certainly be more beneficial for business start up, almost recommending I stay on the live register for 12 months.
I'm keen to here if anyone has been able to avail of BTWEA whilst being on JSB or is it a matter of having to wait the 12 months on JSB to qualify?

 

[Monbretia]

It's either one or the other, you can't have BTWEA on JB, if you go for the STEA while on JB it's really just a change of name, you only get the benefit until the original JB claim would have run out anyway.

The BTWEA is a longer payment as you say and only for people who have already been on benefits for 12 months, I thought you had to be on JA for 12 months, maybe it is just 12 months in total on JB/JA? What's the technical allowance?

Will you qualify for JA when your JB runs out? The 40k exemption from tax would big a big carrot if you expect to make money in your first few years.