The Department of Social Protection operates a range of employment support measures designed to encourage and support social welfare recipients of working age to reduce their dependency on welfare payments. These include the back to work enterprise allowance (BTWEA). This scheme is designed to provide a monetary incentive for people who are long term dependant on social welfare payments to develop a business.
The BTWEA allows eligible people to develop a business while retaining a reducing proportion of their qualifying social welfare payment. The period for which the allowance is payable is 2 years, the first year at 100% of existing social welfare entitlement and 75% in the second year. There are no circumstances where payment of the BTWEA is extended for more than two years. However, people who previously participated in the back to work enterprise allowance may apply a second time after a period of at least 5 years has elapsed.
It should also be noted that people who are self-employed for up to three days in a week may claim a jobseeker's payment in respect of the remainder of the week, subject to satisfying a means test and being available for full-time work.
The BTWEA in conjunction with other employment support schemes, will continue to be monitored on an ongoing basis to ensure that it continues to meet its objectives.