§ Mr. PikeTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to amend the current benefits system to ensure that self-employed persons are able to claim benefits on becoming unemployed. [40145]
§ Mr. Roger EvansCurrent policy will be carried forward in the new jobseeker's allowance from October 1996. Payment of class 2 national insurance contributions on earnings from self-employment will not enable a self-employed person to gain entitlement to contribution-based jobseeker's allowance. Self-employed claimants will have access to income-based jobseeker's allowance in the same way as other claimants.
Changes to the availability for work rules will, however, recognise the growth in self-employment. As now, all claimants will have to be available for employed earner's employment, but under jobseeker's allowance, people who have been self-employed will be able to limit their jobsearch to self-employed opportunities in their usual occupation for up to 13 weeks at the beginning of their claim.