Decision Guidelines - self-employed

The following guidelines can help you decide whether a self-employed client can get Jobseeker Support.

• Can the client participate in full-time employment elsewhere while working part time in their business? If they are working full time in self-employment they cannot get Jobseeker Support.
• What steps has the client taken to find other employment and/or increase their business income? Do they have a business plan, a mentor?
• How much is the client currently earning from self-employment, and what were they earning?
• How did they support themselves during similar periods in the past?

The client needs to provide:

• copies of the latest financial accounts and
• details of ongoing business commitments, for example pricing jobs and availability for other employment and
• records of the number of hours they are working in their business for the 3 months before they applied for Jobseeker Support, and
• details of how the client supported themselves during similar periods in the past and
• an assessment of the expected duration period with no income and
• a statement showing how long the client has been self-employed

To work out whether the client has (or is) working full time in their business you will need to work out the average weekly hours for the 3 months before they applied for benefit.

If a client does not have accounts, they need to be given time to collect the information. It is not the role of MSD to prepare a client's business accounts, however there are ways we can support a client by showing them where to find sources of information and resources that can help them.

Agencies including Business.govt.nz, Citizen's Advice Bureau, Local Government New Zealand, Inland Revenue and Employment New Zealand have a range of advice, support and guidelines for small businesses, including videos and pamphlets that provide step by step instructions on how to prepare accounts as well as guides to business planning, and mentor programmes.