Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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146. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the supports that are available to support the return to work including covering the costs associated with respect to returning to work in the self-employed sector of persons who have been out on long-term sick leave. [51792/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The Department operates two schemes to assist people on social welfare who wish to commence self-employment; namely the Short Term Enterprise Allowance (STEA) and the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance (BTWEA). The STEA provides immediate access to support where people who have lost their jobs and qualify for jobseekers’ benefit wish to set up a business. Payment under the scheme is at the same rate and for the same duration as their entitlement to jobseeker’s benefit.

The BTWEA is designed to allow the long term unemployed, lone parents, people with disabilities and other social welfare recipients to return to the active labour force by setting up a self-employment business. Participants on this scheme retain a reducing proportion of their qualifying social welfare payment over two years. In general, the qualifying period for the back to work enterprise allowance is twelve months in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment. Under both schemes, those taking up self-employment must develop a viable and sustainable business plan. Support for the presentation of business idea and subsequent development of a business plan is available from local development companies and this Department’s local employment support/case officers. My Department also provides further support to people who qualify for the BTWEA through the Technical Assistance and Training Scheme (TATS). TATS allows access to up to €1,000 of grant support towards certain business start-up expenses.

The Department can also provide support to self-employed persons who experience business downturn and need assistance by way of income support via the jobseeker’s payment. Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) provides a basic weekly allowance to eligible people who have little or no income. A person can continue to work in their business and get income support, other conditions having been met

Details of all schemes and self-employment supports are available on the Department’s website or by visiting any of the Department’s offices or Intreo centres.