# What About Self-employed people with No Work



## Paddie1077 (9 Mar 2009)

Hi 
I have been looking on here for some advice and all i can see is employees rights to benifits but does anyone know what the self-employed peoples rights to benifits are as this info is very hard to obtain I spoke to an adviser and they told me that self-employed people have little to no rights tho claim benifits is this ture? all my tax affairs are up to date I pay s class paye I should be intitled to something as I am unable to support a family on my earnings Can anyone help me before its to late as I dont want to go bellyup?


----------



## asdfg (10 Mar 2009)

> told me that self-employed people have little to no rights tho claim benifits is this ture?


 
Class S entitles you to the following
Payment is 3%
*Self-Employment*

*PRSI Class S*

People within CLASS S:
Self-employed people such as farmers, certain company directors, people in business on their own account and people with income from investments, rents and maintenance.
CLASS S BENEFITS

Widow's or Widower's (Contributory) Pension
Guardian's Payment (Contributory)
State Pension (Contributory)
Maternity Benefit
Adoptive Benefit
Bereavement Grant
 
Compare this to Private Sector 
Rate is employee 4% to 52K, employer 10.5% no limit
*Private Sector Employments*

*PRSI Class A*

People within CLASS A:
People in industrial, commercial and service-type employment who are employed under a contract of service with gross earnings of €38 or more per week from all employments; Civil and Public Servants recruited from 6 April, 1995 and Community Employment participants from 6 April, 1996.
*CLASS A BENEFITS*

Jobseeker's Benefit
Illness Benefit
Health and Safety Benefit
Maternity Benefit
Adoptive Benefit
Invalidity Pension
Widow's or Widower's (Contributory) Pension
Guardian's Payment (Contributory)
State Pension (Transition)
State Pension (Contributory)
Bereavement Grant
Treatment Benefit
Occupational Injuries Benefits
Carer's Benefit


----------



## D8Lady (10 Mar 2009)

How long have you been self employed? I've been trying to get my head around this issue as well.
Have a look at this page on Citizen's Information.
In a nutshell you may be entitled to Unemployment Benefit:
If you were paying class A PRSI in 2007 (2 years ago, have no idea why).
Or if you paid class A for half the year in 2007 and also half a year in 2006. 

You can apply for Unemployment Assistance. The big difference between the two is that UA is means tested. So you will be asked for at least 6 months of banks accounts etc. 

However, you don't have to close your company or de-register as self-employed while on UA.

And no, its not fair that self employed can't claim benefit.


----------



## sparkeee (10 Mar 2009)

what entitles people who work as employees to claim benifits when self employed cannot claim,is there a difference in the prsi or paye or other money deducted from employees that self employed dont pay.


----------



## askalot (10 Mar 2009)

sparkeee said:


> is there a difference in the prsi or paye or other money deducted from employees that self employed dont pay.



PRSI for the self employed is 3% while for employees it is 4% and their employer also pays 10.5% up to 52,000.


----------



## asdfg (10 Mar 2009)

> for employees it is 4% and their employer also pays 10.5% up to 52,000.


 
No limit for employer contribution Employer pays 10.5% on all salary


----------

