This morning.

A new social insurance benefit scheme for the self-employed from this November.

The Jobseekers Benefit (Self-Employed) will support those who lose their self-employment and are covered by social insurance.

To wit:

The new benefit will be paid for 9 months for people with 260 or more self-employment PRSI contributions paid…It will be paid for 6 months for people with fewer than 260 self–employment PRSI contributions paid…

Minister Doherty Announces a New Social Insurance Scheme of Jobseeker’s Benefit for the Self-Employed (Welfare.ie)

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16 thoughts on “Self Help

  1. George

    Why can’t they say in plain English what a “contribution” is. What does 260 contributions amount to?

    1. eoin

      Exactly. Surely it’s not 260 months, or 21 years (which for continuous self-employment would be practically unheard of).

      Remember though, you’re talking about Regina Doherty here, the minister whose own commercial exploits have left a long trail of unpaid bills and bankrupt companies. Not the sharpest tool in the shed.

    2. Joe Small

      Its the term used in the legislation. They have to be pretty precise in defining legal entitlements.

      1. George

        They also have an obligation explain the meaning of the term in plain English in their press release preferably illustrated with examples so that they are clearly understood.

  2. The Old Boy

    PRSI contributions, popularly known as “stamps”, are payable weekly and thus 260 contributions is five years. They need not be continuous. Self-employed people pay contributions at a rate of 4%. The rate will not change under this proposal, according to the information available.

  3. phil

    Im probably misunderstanding it but I believed that one of the few benefits to being PAYE was the Jobseekers Benefit, if we loose our job. The self employed were able to control their taxes to some degree , and if they were VAT registered even better for them , now that they will get Jobseekers Benefit , what is the actual difference between Self-employed and PAYE now ?

    1. George

      Being VAT registered isn’t a good think. It means you have to charge VAT which makes your product or service much more expensive. You haven’t a clue and clearly have never been self-employed.

      If you’re making 20 – 50k as a self employed person there is very little you can do to “control your taxes” and you will pay more tax than a PAYE worker.

      The difference is you get paid a salary and pay less tax.

    2. Termagant

      Advantages of being employed rather than self-employed:
      You can just do your job, you don’t have to worry about accounts, admin, marketing, logistics unless one of those is your job
      You have a contractually guaranteed paycheck for the foreseeable future
      Training is generally provided and paid

  4. scottser

    is this one of those typical FG initiatives that pays you enough of a pittance to force you into a higher tax bracket?

  5. stephen c

    and how is this going to be paid for ?
    are the self employed getting a shafting the next budget for a measure most don’t want.

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