If you do not have a job, and you have the right to receive benefits, and you have decided to start your own business, be careful because you can lose your right to unemployment

Is it compatible to collect unemployment while working on your own?

When you leave a job, and after a time when finding a new job for someone else becomes almost impossible, starting a business is an option, but you have to know that there are a series of rules and times to comply with if you want to minimize risk. in the new project, such as making sure that we will have the unemployment that we still have pending payment. Depending on how we register, we will obtain more or less benefits to undertake when unemployment is being collected.

Can you lose the right to unemployment benefit?

If you are thinking of registering as a freelancer, you should know that you can only continue collecting unemployment if the activity lasts less than 60 months. Logically, while you are registered as a self-employed worker, the unemployment benefit is suspended. But keep in mind that, in the event that you exceed 60 months in your new activity, you will lose the benefit that you had pending collection before starting.

When will you be able to resume the collection of the benefit?

According to official information from the Public Employment Services, which you can consult at sepe.es; They will be compatible if the self-employment has been less than 24 months, even if they have not registered as a self-employed worker included in any of the Social Security schemes.

If the duration of self-employment has been greater than 24 months and less than 60 months and has been registered in the RETA or in the Special Regime for Sea Workers.

In these cases, when you stop your activity as a self-employed person, you can request the resumption of your unemployment benefit, provided that you do so within 15 business days after your termination, which is the period set by this body.

And the self-employed strike?

There are cases in which at the end of the self-employed activity, the worker would be joined with his benefit for cessation of activity with the previous one. In this case, explains the SEPE, you will have the option to choose between receiving this benefit or continuing to receive the unemployment protection that was suspended.

"If you opt for the benefit that was suspended, the contributions that gave rise to the benefit that you have not chosen will not be taken into account to access a subsequent benefit," they clarify.

On the contrary, it is clarified from the State Public Employment Service, the cases in which your unemployment benefit would be extinguished are indicated:

  • If the self-employment lasts for 60 months or more.
  • If the self-employment lasted equal to or greater than 24 months and less than 60 months, and the worker did not register as a worker or self-employed worker in any of the Special Social Security Regimes.

If you want more information about this or any other question that arises when starting your business adventure, do not hesitate to contact contact with our experts who will advise you what is best for you.

Source: Expansion

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