JSA + freelance work

Tusky

I have some questions that hopefully yea can help me with. I've always worked from a young age and never been on social welfare, so I'm not sure how it all works.

A couple of months ago I was made part-time (had been working 5 days per week) and now I only work 1 day per week. I tried to supplement my income by doing some freelance work (I work in the media) but struggled to make enough to get by so applied for jobseekers benefit.

After handing in all my documents I was given a date for a means test interview the following week. However, literally after walking out of the social welfare office I got a call offering me some freelance work. I called up the social welfare office and told them I had been offered work but not sure for how long - the lady said she would cancel my appointment and told me to call back if the work ended.

The work only ended up lasting 7 days but I didnt call back into them until this week (I was hoping to secure more work - it was actually promised to me but didnt work out). I've only had a couple of other days freelance work since then (about 6 weeks ago).

Question 1: Will I be able to claim for all the days I didnt work or will the fact that I left it for a few weeks go against me?

Secondly, while filling in my forms my flatmate asked how I'm going to explain the freelance work because according to him 'self employed' people cant get job seekers benefit. Is this true? The payments show up as lodgements on my bank statements. Theres about 4 or 5 of them over a 2 to 3 month period for €600, €200, €350 and €260 - so not a massive amount of money.

Question 2: Will the fact that I have done a very small amount of freelance work make me inelgable?

Question 3: Am I technically self employed - even though the bulk of my earnings is from my steady one day work per week?

NB: Freelance/self employed work may or may not continue. There's no way for me to know. I reckon I probably get 2 or 3 days freelance work per month.

When you apply for Jobseeker’s Allowance (JA)
Usually, you will be asked for your receipts and payments or audited accounts for the current and previous year. For example, if you apply for Jobseeker's Allowance in April 2011 you will be asked for your receipts and payments from January to April 2011 and for 2010. However, in certain cases you may be required to show audited accounts for the last two or more years. Find out more about signing on for a jobseeker’s payment.

Just seen this. I should stay that prior to last month I had not done any freelance/self employed work. My plan was to not claim for days when I did freelance work.

danjo-xx

just my 2cent, might help a bit, I dunno..if I am correct in this!


Self employed pps are not entitled to unemployment payments because they do not pay PRSI 'A' rated contributions.

If you have been working as a PAYE worker which I think you were, and even if its only for 1 day a week and if you receive over €30 in any given week then you would get a A rated prsi stamp for each week.

It's the amount of A contributions that you have that will decide if you are entitled to JSB.

At the top of your post you said you made a claim for Job Seekers Benefit and then went on to mention being means tested.

You might be getting confused there, Benefit is based on your stamps and is not means tested.

Job Seekers Allowance is means tested and ppl usually go on this after their Benefit has run out after the 12 months that it lasts.


I think the fact you do a bit of casual self employment is neither here nor there once you have enough stamps.

amtw

You should have applied for Jobseekers Benefit once you had suffered either a substantial loss of hours or a substantial loss of earnings.

I suggest that you go back to your local Social Welfare office and explain the situation. You can work part-time either for yourself or for your regular employer as long as you inform the office and sign off for the days you are not available for work as it is a requirement when in receipt of JB that you are available for work and actively seeking work.