Director of Ltd Company & Claiming Jobseekers Benefit

Looking for some information. I was made redundant 3 months ago and have been claiming Jobseekers Benefit since that period, 2 months ago I setup a Ltd. company in the hope to try and make a living.

Trading has gone well the past two months, but I have yet to receive any kind of salary from the company. I had fully intended to signoff over the next couple of months when the company had made a profit however I received a letter from the Social Welfare arranging an appointment for FAS.

So whats next, can I claim JB while being a director of a Ltd. Company?

There is nothing to stop you getting JObseekers Benefit and being a company director. However, you must still fulfill all the other conditions of the scheme.

For Benefit, it is not the amount of money that you earn, but only the days that you are unemployed that determine how much you receive. If you have been working in the company (even if you have not been making a profit), then you will not have been considered to be unemployed on any day that you were doing work. If you are working more than 3 days in the week, then you won't be entitled to any payment as you will not be considered to be available for full time work. If you have not already told the department about your work, then you may have received an overpayment which they will look back.

You should look at the Back to Work Short Term Enterprise Allowance, which allows you to keep a full social welfare payment and keep any profits from the business for the duration of your Benefit entitlement. http://www.welfare.ie/EN/OperationalGuidelines/Pages/btw_stea.aspx