How to claim JSA part time when kind of self employed

augusta24

Hi everyone,

I'm just looking for some advice about my situation but I know I won't have a definite answer until I go into my social welfare office... I'd just like to have an idea of what to expect first.

Basically I'm on JSA at the moment and I've been offered a job with a company that I really really want to take. The way my job will work is that I will technically be self employed hired by this company to carry out my service. However, my work hours will fluctuate greatly, especially at the start as it will depend on how many clients i have.

I know this sounds a bit funny so I'll use a similar example to help explain. So lets pretend I'm an electrician being hired by a company who is well known in this business and who already have the tools I need and great advertisement out there. So people call them looking for an electrician and they send me out to do the work. Then at the end of the month the company pay me for the work I've done that month and its 80% of what my clients paid (they keep 20%).

My problem is that I expect that at the start ill only have maybe one client a week and we expect that I'll work up to full time work after Christmas.
Until then I really won't be able to live off the money I'm earning so I need to be able to claim my JSA part time (I used to do this a few years ago when I worked part time as an employee).
The problem is I won't be able to prove how much work I've completed until after I have completed it or at lease until I have people booked into my schedule. I do have a contract that states clearly how much the client will pay and how much I'll be taking from that, but I don't know how the social welfare would be able to work out how much to deduct from me for each day I work...

I know this sounds so complicated and I'm terrified they'll tell me I have to just sign off completely which will mean ill have to turn down the job even though its an amazing opportunity for me (if I don't take it ill likely have to emigrate next year for work).

Many thanks to anyone who can offer any advice on this situation!

fl4pj4ck

you could declare you're self employed 1-3 days a week and still continue to receive JSA, however if you are to work more days then this is a no-go. also, JSA is means tested so every time you get money from being self employed your JSA will be reduced. had the same conversation with people at SW and decided not to do it, as it was too much of a hassle

augusta24

fl4pj4ck wrote: »

you could declare you're self employed 1-3 days a week and still continue to receive JSA, however if you are to work more days then this is a no-go. also, JSA is means tested so every time you get money from being self employed your JSA will be reduced. had the same conversation with people at SW and decided not to do it, as it was too much of a hassle

Thank you so much for your reply. Yeah I understand what you mean about the hassle, but for the next few months I think I'll only have a day here and there so don't think I'll be working anymore than 2/3 days a week so really need some of the JSA to keep me going so I can pay for petrol etc.
do you happen to know anymore about how they'd work out the amount to take away from me for each worked day? I remember before I was an employee and my employer worked it out by telling them how much I earn each day and then the social welfare could make a calculation based on that!

fl4pj4ck

you will have to provide all the details, which means sometimes the payment will be postponed or you will have to pay back if they make a mistake in their calculations. I was thinking about doing the same, but after hearing that I decided to get back to education

augusta24

fl4pj4ck wrote: »

you will have to provide all the details, which means sometimes the payment will be postponed or you will have to pay back if they make a mistake in their calculations. I was thinking about doing the same, but after hearing that I decided to get back to education

Thank you so so much for that info.