David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 40: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of applications for jobseeker's allowance received from people who were formerly self-employed since 1 January 2009 to date in 2009; the number of same which have been processed; the number awarded the payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23276/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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At the end of May there were 9,072 jobseeker's allowance claims coded as having been self-employed prior to making their claim. Of this number 3,393 are in payment, 554 have been disallowed and 5,125 are currently being processed. A self-employed person who was on another social welfare payment immediately prior to making their claim would not be included in these figures.

Self-employed people or those who were formerly self-employed are treated the same as any other applicant for a jobseeker's payment. Those who do not qualify for jobseeker's benefit which is based on PRSI contributions may qualify for jobseeker's allowance provided they satisfy the normal conditions which include a means test.

Generally, self-employed people are assessed on the basis of their income in the past 12 months to determine their expected income in the following year. If a self-employed person lost a contract and was unlikely to find a substitute contract in the coming year, this is factored into the assessment of future income. It is also recognised that the present downturn in the economy is having a significant impact on many self-employed persons and the consequent reduction in their income and activity levels would be reflected in any assessment of their means from self-employment for jobseeker's allowance purposes. Social Welfare Inspectors take account of the economic environment in which the self-employed person is operating when projecting future earnings.