self employment/dole question

flynnboy

Hi

I have been living here and self employed for 2 years, I am not an Irish citizen.

I have heard that if my business goes under I will not be eligible for dole payment because I have been self-employed. I am in fact concerned about business at the moment and need to know if this is true - can anyone advise if this is true or not ?

Thank you.

Lenny

What you heard is correct.
You may be able to be means tested an be entitled to some pay of jobseekers allounce

zig

You should really go to Citizens advice and talk to them, they are very helpful. Chances are if you are means tested and you are not married to someone working you should be entitled to some allowance, whether you not being a Irish Citizen has an affect on that im not sure.
Go talk to the, its worth it, best of luck.

p1akuw47h5r3it

flynnboy wrote: »

Hi

I have been living here and self employed for 2 years, I am not an Irish citizen.

I have heard that if my business goes under I will not be eligible for dole payment because I have been self-employed. I am in fact concerned about business at the moment and need to know if this is true - can anyone advise if this is true or not ?

Thank you.

Yes you are right. It's a crazy situation that someone willing to take the time, risk and effort to set up a business has almost nothing to fall back on.

Ridiculous.

Pharaoh1

DanDan6592 wrote: »

Yes you are right. It's a crazy situation that someone willing to take the time, risk and effort to set up a business has almost nothing to fall back on.

Ridiculous.

Whats even more crazy is that this is a major issue all around the entire country all over Joe Duffy etc. and have just had a general election with probably one of the longest ever campaigns and to my knowledge not one politician from any of the main parties addressed the issue.
I did hear Luke Ming Flanagan promise to push for a change but how much influence will he have?
Surely forcing self employed/sole traders to pay more tax (through the credits system) and by not allowing them to pay class A prsi is a completely stupid approach given the circumstances we are in.

zig

I think you can get jobseekers allowance with a means test, just not the benefit cause your not paying prsi.

gigino

zig wrote: »

Chances are if you are means tested and you are not married to someone working you should be entitled to some allowance

I think the problem is that there are a lot of self employed people eg tradespeople, auctioneers, luxury goods makers, widget makers, etc who may have paid, for decades in cases, income tax + self employed prsi and also vat to the government + possibly c.g. tax and c.a.tax and rates and water charges and accountancy charges and all the other taxes / charges in this country, and who now find - this last few years - business has dried up and their savings are gone and now they cannot get anything back from the government ( in the form of dole, or unemployment payment ) because they own a house or other property ( even though it may be heavily mortgaged or in negative equity ) or because they may have got a bank loan for an investment tax-incentive property/apartment, or because they are married to someone with a job. I have sympathy for them but a lot of people think they should not have been entreprenerial or hard working in the first place :rolleyes:, they should have got a job like everyone else instead of creating a job for themselves or others. My brother says if he knew then what he knows now, he would never have set up a business in this country.

zig

gigino wrote: »

I think the problem is that there are a lot of self employed people eg tradespeople, auctioneers, luxury goods makers, widget makers, etc who may have paid income tax + self employed prsi and also vat to the government + possibly c.g. tax and c.a.tax and rates and water charges and accountancy charges and all the other taxes / charges in this country, and who now find - this last few years - business has dried up and their savings are gone and now they cannot get anything back from the government ( in the form of dole, or unemployment payment ) because they own a house or other property ( even though it may be heavily mortgaged or in negative equity ) or because they may have got a bank loan for an investment tax-incentive property/apartment, or because they are married to someone with a job. I have sympathy for them but a lot of people think they should not have been entreprenerial or hard working in the first place :rolleyes:, they should have got a job like everyone else instead of creating a job for themselves or others. My brother says if he knew then what he knows now, he would never have set up a business in this country.

I see your point, absolutely no return for the hard work/taxes you pay. Bit of a joke alright. I was just trying to point out that you wont exactly be begging on the streets. But again I guess your right, if you own a house what the hell do you do for money!

gigino

zig wrote: »

I see your point, absolutely no return for the hard work/taxes you pay. Bit of a joke alright. I was just trying to point out that you wont exactly be begging on the streets. But again I guess your right, if you own a house what the hell do you do for money!

The "ex self-employed" fellow who has no income now but a house in negative equity can give the keys back to the bank , skip off to Oz and default on the balance owed. He cannot stay in the house + get the dole here.

The self employed fellow, whose business fails, but who has a partner working can live off his or her income, so is not entitled to the dole either.

flynnboy

Jesus, this is shocking !

I'm not out of business yet, I'm just worried and wondering what might happen. It may be okay, I'll have to wat and see. But hell, I am paying al of my taxes like everyone else so why should I be penalised for being self-employed !?

My wife does not work. So if it all goes tits up I might still get something like Job-seekers Allowance on a means test, is this correct, or will I be up **** creek without a paddle or money - we have no savings to speak of.

gigino

flynnboy wrote: »

My wife does not work. So if it all goes tits up I might still get something like Job-seekers Allowance on a means test, is this correct, or will I be up **** creek without a paddle or money - we have no savings to speak of.

If you have no savings or assets you are lucky enough, in that you will get something.

If you have worked hard for say 30 years, been thrifty and have some savings for your retirement / rainy day, or if you half own a house ( the bank owning the other half ) , but now found things have gone "tits up" as you say, then you will get nothing....no dole or unemployment from the state....until you have gone through / used up your assets.
I know a few self employed who have comitted suicide recently. One did'nt look like suicide but his close family know it was. I pity anyone in that situation, anyone who is human would.

Ray Burkes Pension

flynnboy wrote: »

Hi

I have been living here and self employed for 2 years, I am not an Irish citizen.

I have heard that if my business goes under I will not be eligible for dole payment because I have been self-employed. I am in fact concerned about business at the moment and need to know if this is true - can anyone advise if this is true or not ?

Thank you.

You'll have to pass a Habitual Residency Test