# assesssing spouses income



## triciamonty (9 Apr 2009)

what are the income thresholds on your spouses income for you to be able to claim jobseekers allowance ?


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## gipimann (9 Apr 2009)

Here are the rules on means-testing spouse/partner's income from employment taken from SW website:


*Spouse’s or partner’s income from employment*

Your spouse’s or partner’s income from employment is assessed in the means test for Jobseeker’s Allowance.


To find your spouse’s or partner’s means from work you must:

Deduct €20 per day from your spouse's or partner's assessable earnings for each day worked up to a maximum of €60 (including Sunday)
Next get 60% of the balance. This is assessed as his or her weekly means from work.
Assessable weekly earnings - €20 per day (maximum 3 days) = total x 60% = weekly means from work. 
And here is how to calculate assessable earnings.

*Assessable earnings from work*

The following items are always deducted from your gross earnings to get your assessable earnings from work:

PRSI contributionshttp://www.askaboutmoney.com/syndic...al-insurance-prsi/social_insurance_in_ireland
Union dues
Superannuation
PRSAs (Personal Retirement Savings Accounts)
AVCs (Additional Voluntary Contributions)


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## triciamonty (9 Apr 2009)

do these same rules apply if wife is classed as self-employed taking home 350 p.w.  also i un registered as self employed in october 2008 to take up direct employment but this fell through,so i signed on  on the 12 -12-08............thank-you for replying


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## milic (9 Apr 2009)

No. Income from self employment is assessable in full without disregards.


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## gipimann (9 Apr 2009)

Here are the rules for assessing income from self-employment.

*Spouse’s or partner’s income from self-employment*

Your spouse’s or partner’s income from self-employment is assessed in the means test for Jobseeker’s Allowance.

The assessment must reflect the earnings your spouse or partner may reasonably be expected to get from your business over the next 12 months. Income for the last 12 months will be taken as a guide but allowing for any factors which it is known will vary. Your spouse or partner should be prepared to discuss these factors when you are assessed for Jobseeker’s Allowance.

Earnings are assessed as gross income less work related expenses over 12 months. The expected annual earnings from self-employment is divided by 52 to find your spouse’s or partner’s weekly means from self-employment. 

Any ‘drawings’ taken from the business is not an allowable expense. If the ‘drawings’ from the business are greater than the level of income calculated, the ‘drawings’ are assessed as cash income.ere are the rules for spouses in self-employment.


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## triciamonty (10 Apr 2009)

350 p.w take home from self-employment,350 -60=290 ...290x 60% =174.would this be  the correct figure for my wifes means from work ?


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## noname (10 Apr 2009)

Hi,

can anyone confirm that Partners earning's are not taken into consideration when applying for Jobseekers Benefit?

also, after checking Welfare.ie I think I would also be able to qualify for a rent allowance supplement, does anyone know if this is the case? 

my partner is on relative low wages and I am about to be made redundant.


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## gipimann (10 Apr 2009)

triciamonty said:


> 350 p.w take home from self-employment,350 -60=290 ...290x 60% =174.would this be the correct figure for my wifes means from work ?


 
The 20 euro disregard (and the 60%) doesn't apply to earnings from self-employment, only from earnings from employment.  If the earnings have been declared at 350 pw then that is the amount of means assessed against you.


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## gipimann (10 Apr 2009)

noname said:


> Hi,
> 
> can anyone confirm that Partners earning's are not taken into consideration when applying for Jobseekers Benefit?
> 
> ...


 
If you have sufficient PRSI contributions, then you will be entitled to JB for yourself irrespective of your partner's earnings.  However you may not be entitled to be paid for your partner.

If your partner works more than 30 hours per week, then you will not be entitled to claim Rent Supplement.   If they work less than 30 hours, you can apply for Rent Supplement which will be means-tested on all household income (earnings and JB).  Redundancy would also be subject to a means-test as Savings (though some would be disregarded).


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## triciamonty (10 Apr 2009)

looks like i might not be ENTITLED to any jobseekers allowance....or anything else. sorry now i ever tried to do anything properly in this country.................p.s thankyou for replying to my thread gipiman..........


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## noname (10 Apr 2009)

gipimann said:


> ...



thanks for the quick reply.


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## moneygrower (15 Apr 2009)

Does this mean if your partner is self employment there are assessed on their full income? What is the max threshold for your partners income to qualify for the allowance? I can't find this information on the net!


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## Welfarite (15 Apr 2009)

moneygrower said:


> Does this mean if your partner is self employment there are assessed on their full income? What is the max threshold for your partners income to qualify for the allowance? I can't find this information on the net!


 

As already posted in this thread by Gipimann:

*"Spouse’s or partner’s income from self-employment*

Your spouse’s or partner’s income from self-employment is assessed in the means test for Jobseeker’s Allowance.

The assessment must reflect the earnings your spouse or partner may reasonably be expected to get from your business over the next 12 months. Income for the last 12 months will be taken as a guide but allowing for any factors which it is known will vary. Your spouse or partner should be prepared to discuss these factors when you are assessed for Jobseeker’s Allowance.

Earnings are assessed as gross income less work related expenses over 12 months. The expected annual earnings from self-employment is divided by 52 to find your spouse’s or partner’s weekly means from self-employment. 

Any ‘drawings’ taken from the business is not an allowable expense. If the ‘drawings’ from the business are greater than the level of income calculated, the ‘drawings’ are assessed as cash income.ere are the rules for spouses in self-employment."

There is no 'maximum amount of partner's earnings; ther is a maximum amount of means assessed which would bring you over your entitled rate of payment on SW


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