Self Employed & Unemployment Assistance - You Can't Win!

Equanimity

Hi there

Just wondering if anyone else has come across this.
Am self employed and partner is too. His income has been tiny this year & mine was just okay until a couple of months ago when work died almost completely. This happened over a year ago & I was means tested, successful and was on it a week when I got a great amount of work so signed off immediately. This time I am really stuck with all the usual bills etc. and have a very small amount of work for the rest of the year. I applied for assistance (hoping I would get work by the time it was processed as before) and I was refused based on my earnings. Am just at the threshold - they are basing it on the first 7 months of the year and taking an average monthly rate from that so the rest of the years projections are this rate - which brings me right to the threshold. I won't make this which is the most frustrating part of it!

I do fully understand that they are the rules and I don't apply and this is not my problem. I have barely any income for the rest of the year and have now gone into arrears on my mortgage etc.I am also applying for jobs as I am happy to take a job or more contract work as self employed- whichever comes first. The problem is all the jobs I can do are all jobsbridge so I can't apply as I am not in receipt of social welfare. If I want to try other routes like a different career where there's more work I can't do FAS courses either! I was with the Dept of Social Welfare today & they said there's nothing I can do - and I quote "you'd wonder why anyone would become self employed?".

Anyway my question is if anyone else has come across this before? Surely the answer isn't that I am forced to unregister as self employed and then try to sign on again as unemployed instead of self employed?
Don't get me wrong, I would jump at the chance of getting work and the last thing I want is to be stuck on social welfare so it's not like I am trying to get it so I don't have to worry about work !
Am just interested to hear of anyone else's experiences?

Thanks
E

mgbgt1978

You could always appeal the decision......but you will have to wait several months for an appeal to be heard.

Equanimity

Thanks mgbgt1978

I don't think there's any point as that's just how they calculate out your means when you are self employed. I gather it will always be the same outcome.
It's a pity they can't even put you on some system that even if it doesn't pay because you are just over the means test threshold (even though I am actually not as I won't be earning for the rest of the year) so you can apply for jobsbridge work and FAS courses - if your income was deemed to be very low.

It's so frustrating!

Eq

mp22

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