Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 452: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason self-employed people who have just lost their jobs must wait for up to 12 months for social welfare payments; if this position has changed in recent months; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35900/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Self employed people do not have to wait 12 months to get a jobseeker's allowance payment.

Jobseekers allowance is a means tested payment made to those who do not qualify for jobseekers benefit which is based on PRSI contributions. The means test involves an assessment of the person's savings and investments, any property s/he may own, apart from the family home and any other income such as a pension from a former employer or from another country.

Generally, self-employed persons are assessed with their income in the past 12 months to determine their expected income in the following year. With the general downturn in the construction industry at the moment it is accepted that less work is available in that sector and that earnings in the previous 12 months may not be representative of expected earnings in the coming year. The Social Welfare Inspector will take account of this fact in projecting future earnings.