Self-employed persons are liable for PRSI at the Class S rate of 4% which entitles them to access long-term benefits such as State pension (contributory) and widow's, widower's or surviving civil partner's pension (contributory) as well as maternity benefit, adoptive benefit and guardians payment (contributory).
Self-employed workers may also access social welfare supports by establishing eligibility to assistance-based payments such as jobseeker’s allowance and disability allowance.
It may be noted that almost 9 out of every 10 self-employed people who claimed means tested jobseeker’s allowance during the three-year period from 2009 to 2011 received payment. I am therefore satisfied that the self-employed have adequate access to income support in the event of business failure.