General instructions for an artist who is left unemployed
GENERAL INSTRUCTION FOR AN ARTIST WHO IS LEFT UNEMPLOYED
A job-seeker looking for a full-time job is entitled to unemployment benefits.
The artist must register with the TE Office and inform that he or she is searching for and ready to accept full-time employment. One is eligible for unemployment benefits no earlier than the date when the application has arrived at the TE Office; entitlement is not retrospective from an earlier date.
The artist employing him- or herself with artistic activities is not a direct impediment to receiving unemployment benefits. In this case, the TE Office will decide whether the artistic activities form an impediment to accepting full-time employment.
The applicant will not be eligible for unemployment benefits if the TE Office considers the artistic activities to be full-time. An artist who employs him- or herself in artistic activities part-time may be eligible for an adjusted unemployment benefit.
Whether the income from the artistic activities is low does not actually matter in the assessment of the applicant’s amount of employment. Even those with only mildly profitable or loss-making operations can be deemed employed to such an extent that accepting full-time employment is not possible.
An unemployed artist does not need to dispense with his or her workroom or with any supplies, tools, and stocks of work required to maintain his or her professional skills. Also, an unemployed artist can still apply for grants. Any grants received should always be reported to the TE Office.