Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 May 2022
487. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection if self-employed persons are entitled to apply for the jobseeker's benefit in cases in which their company goes out of business and they are looking for a job; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24230/22]
View answerThe Jobseeker's Benefit Self Employed scheme, introduced in November 2019, is a social insurance contribution based income support payment for qualifying self-employed people.
To be eligible for the payment a self -employed person must satisfy all of the statutory conditions including the contribution condition. This requires that they must have at least 156 weeks of Class S contributions or at least 104 weeks of paid Class A or H PRSI since first starting work. In addition, they must also have 52 weeks of Class S contributions paid in the Governing Contribution Year (GCY). The GCY is the second last complete tax year before the year in which the claim is made. The GCY for current year claims is 2020.
Where a person’s company goes out of business and they are available for and genuinely seeking employment they may be eligible for the payment subject to satisfying the scheme conditions. However, a person shall be disqualified for receiving the benefit for a period of up to nine weeks where they have received or are entitled to receive any moneys, in excess of €50,000, in respect of the sale or disposal of their self-employment business. This figure is calculated as the net cash value received by the person from the sale of the business after all expenses and debts associated with the business have been paid.
Where a self- employed person does not meet the conditionality for Jobseeker's Benefit Self Employed they may apply for support under the means tested Jobseeker's Allowance scheme, subject to satisfying the conditions of that scheme.
I trust that this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
