Allowances for start ups

Mynamehere

Does any one know of any back to work enterprise allowance type allowances for someone who hasnt been unemployed for over a year. Recently finished up in a job and have been setting up my business on a part time basis over the past year.

Basically what i was told when i went to the Dole office was i would have to sit at home for a year to be entitled to the allowance. This seems ridiculous and seems to encourage idleness. I know a few people who have purposefully stayed unemployed to take advantage of the back to work and back to education allowance and i don't want to do this.

Does anyone know any way of getting the allowance without having to draw the dole for the year or drawing the dole and taking a wage from the business?

Anyone had a similar situation?

Thanks all.

missmyler

The Short Term Enterprise Allowance (STEA) is for people who are claiming benefit under a year

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/social_welfare_payments_and_work/short_term_enterprise_allowance.html

I think however one of the prerequisites is that you cannot set up your business till the allowance has been approved for you.

Mynamehere

Thanks for that.

Dont know why the woman in the Dole office couldnt have just told me about this.

missmyler

I thought the same

9wetfckx43j5rg

I'm a student who went onto Jobseekers Allowance (Not entitled to Benefit). I then set up a business in august, cro and tax registered. I went to Fas to ask them about the Enterprise Allowance and they told me the same thing, that I would have to be unemployed for at least a year to claim it. Now there's no way in hell I'm waiting for a year, I've already starting working on my business.

I was told to write the social welfare a letter (which I have) to tell them I have become self employed and inform them I want to get my income accessed. I receive a 100 euro a week on allowance. So basically the idea is that if there's a week I don't earn over 100 euro I'll get paid the remaining amount (ie i earn 60, i get paid 40 from social). I haven't heard back from them yet. The woman at Fas told me it usually takes several months for them to get back and send out someone to look at your accounts, and in this time you are entitled to continue to claim your jobseekers.

missmyler

No idea where FAS are getting this information from and as per the BTWEA and STEA forms I'd imagine it is incorrect.

You need to speak to your Jobs facilitator for you area (Social Welfare can tell you who this is) and the Jobs facilitator will start the approval process.

Most facilitators have a walk in office once a week. A lot of them work out of local health centres but depends on where you live.

Arrive early though, they tend to be packed!

9wetfckx43j5rg

missmyler wrote: »

No idea where FAS are getting this information from and as per the BTWEA and STEA forms I'd imagine it is incorrect.

You need to speak to your Jobs facilitator for you area (Social Welfare can tell you who this is) and the Jobs facilitator will start the approval process.

Most facilitators have a walk in office once a week. A lot of them work out of local health centres but depends on where you live.

Arrive early though, they tend to be packed!

It was my Jobs Facilitator who told me this information.

9wetfckx43j5rg

Nickolas Purring Storybook wrote: »

I'm a student who went onto Jobseekers Allowance (Not entitled to Benefit). I then set up a business in august, cro and tax registered. I went to Fas to ask them about the Enterprise Allowance and they told me the same thing, that I would have to be unemployed for at least a year to claim it. Now there's no way in hell I'm waiting for a year, I've already starting working on my business.

I was told to write the social welfare a letter (which I have) to tell them I have become self employed and inform them I want to get my income accessed. I receive a 100 euro a week on allowance. So basically the idea is that if there's a week I don't earn over 100 euro I'll get paid the remaining amount (ie i earn 60, i get paid 40 from social). I haven't heard back from them yet. The woman at Fas told me it usually takes several months for them to get back and send out someone to look at your accounts, and in this time you are entitled to continue to claim your jobsekkers.

I should confirm, she meant that I could continue to get my Jobseekers Allowance whilst being self employed, not Enterprise Allowance.

brianinspain

Ah ok you said you went to FAS about it.

There is no Enterprise Allowance as such, all you do is get to keep your Job Seekers Benefit/Allowance in most cases

The Jobs facilitator can provide you with some start up costs if you ask nicely. Sometimes they give money for advertising, printers etc. Depends on the business and what the facilitator is like

missmyler

Nickolas Purring Storybook wrote: »

I then set up a business in august, cro and tax registered.

Have you actually started trading yet? Just curious as the forms say you should not but I know a few people who had and were let away with it

9wetfckx43j5rg

missmyler wrote: »

Have you actually started trading yet? Just curious as the forms say you should not but I know a few people who had and were let away with it

Yes I have. The business name I registered with the CRO in Feb, then registered for tax at end of Aug/start of Sept. I started trading in February technically, as that's when I bought most of my equipment and I also did one job then. (I'm in video production). So my self assessment for this year will be from February.

I went onto job seekers when I finished college in June, with the idea that it would keep me afloat until I developed the business enough to start earning. I then started getting jobs in August.

ghosttown

Try you local county Enterprise board as well, they can be very good.