# Will we get the dole even though we are company directors but also PAYE employees....



## scoooby (9 Mar 2009)

Hi all,

This is a hypothetical question which hopefully I wont actually need to know the answer to.

My wife and I are both directors of our own company and have been for the past year or so, however we are both in full time employment with other companies.

Our business works away in the background and whilst we do both work there a few hours a week, we dont draw a salary, as yet.

We obviously have been both paying PRSI for the past 10+ years with the companies that employ us.

My question is this, if either of us, or both of us are made redundant any time soon, will we be entitled to unemployment benefit like any other PAYE employee, or will we be treated differently because we are company directors?

Thanks


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## samanthajane (9 Mar 2009)

*Re: Will we get the dole even though we are company directors but also PAYE employees*

When me and me ex split he took over the business, he carried on trading as the old company for a while (that he wasn't a director of) and then he set up a new company name with his details on and i closed down the other company.

Before he organised everything he applied for mortgage supplement and jobseekers and was awarded it because he was having major problems paying the mortgage and other bills.The money from the business was only just covering the business needs, he wasn't taking a penny from it.

When he became a director of his company they stopped everything. He now works with no pay for his business from 6am to possible 8/9pm 7 days a week. The only exceptions to this is on a fri/sat/sun when he finishes at 5.30 so he can go and do an evening job delivering chinese, cause thats the only way he could get any income, and it's killing him, but you have to do what you have to do. He has no savings no shares, we have a bit of equity in the house but not a huge amount. And still they stopped everything. 

He managed to get a fairly big contract recently so that has helped a lot, but i'm not sure how much longer he can carry on like this. Work has slowed down really bad with the recession, his business relys on other businesses and they're just closing down left right and centre or dont have the money to advertise.

Unless there is some loop hole that we dont know about, i dont see how you would be able to. And i hope you wont need to. And if you do need to and do get awarded jobseekers, rent supplement ect can you let me know how you did it.


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