Title: Months of benefit while starting up: Australia vs 8 countries

> Self-Employment Assistance can pay an allowance for up to 39 weeks (about 9 months) during 12 months of Small Business Coaching, with no job search. JobSeeker P

Source: https://pontia.xyz/au/datasets/au-support-months/
Checked: 26 September 2026

🇦🇺 Months of benefit while starting up: Australia vs 8 countries

# How long can you keep an out-of-work benefit while you start a business? Australia against 8 other countries

Self-Employment Assistance can pay an allowance for up to 39 weeks (about 9 months) during 12 months of Small Business Coaching, with no job search. JobSeeker Payment itself has no time limit while your income stays under the cut-off. Across 8 countries the median is 9 months (range 6 to 24), each read from the official page on 26 September 2026.

-   **9**Median · months
-   **6 to 24**Range · months
-   **8 / 9**Sources

[Download CSV](https://pontia.xyz/au/datasets/au-support-months.csv)[JSON](https://pontia.xyz/au/datasets/au-support-months.json)

-   🇮🇪 Ireland24
-   🇫🇷 France18
-   🇬🇧 United Kingdom12
-   🇪🇸 Spain9
-   🇦🇺 Australia9
-   🇩🇪 Germany6
-   🇳🇱 Netherlands6
-   🇺🇸 United States6

| Source | Figure | Route | Read |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [🇮🇪 Ireland](https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-social-protection/services/back-to-work-enterprise-allowance/) | 24 months | Back to Work Enterprise Allowance | 26 September 2026 |
| [🇫🇷 France](https://www.francetravail.fr/candidat/mes-droits-aux-aides-et-allocati/lessentiel-a-savoir-sur-lallocat/pendant-combien-de-temps-vais-je/comment-est-determinee-la-duree.html) | 18 months | Maintien de l’ARE | 26 September 2026 |
| [🇬🇧 United Kingdom](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-and-self-employment-quick-guide/universal-credit-and-self-employment-quick-guide) | 12 months | Universal Credit start-up period | 26 September 2026 |
| [🇪🇸 Spain](https://www.sepe.es/HomeSepe/prestaciones-desempleo/cobrando-prestacion-subsidio-desempleo/trabajo-como-autonomo.html) | 9 months | Compatibilizar paro y autónomo | 26 September 2026 |
| [🇦🇺 Australia](https://www.dewr.gov.au/self-employment-assistance/services) | 9 months | Small Business Coaching and Self-Employment Allowance | 26 September 2026 |
| [🇩🇪 Germany](https://www.arbeitsagentur.de/arbeitslos-arbeit-finden/arbeitslosengeld/gruendungszuschuss-beantragen) | 6 months | Gründungszuschuss | 26 September 2026 |
| [🇳🇱 Netherlands](https://www.uwv.nl/nl/eigen-bedrijf-starten/startperiode) | 6 months | Startersregeling WW | 26 September 2026 |
| [🇺🇸 United States](https://dol.ny.gov/seap-finance-and-benefits-frequently-asked-questions) | 6 months | Self-Employment Assistance Program (SEAP), New York | 26 September 2026 |

## Read, but no figure published (1)

These sources were checked and do not state the figure. Who publishes is itself a finding.

-   [🇮🇹 Italy](https://www.inps.it/it/it/inps-comunica/dossier/la-naspi/cos---e-come-funziona-la-naspi.html)the official page does not state this figure

The sentences as published

-   🇮🇪 Ireland: If you take part in the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance scheme you can keep a percentage of your social welfare payment for up to 2 years. (26 September 2026, sha 03cbdbf72e2e09ab)
-   🇫🇷 France: Vous avez moins de 55 ans : vous serez indemnisé au maximum 730 jours soit environ 24 mois (548 jours soit environ 18 mois sans complément de fin de formation ou de fin de droits). (26 September 2026, sha 11347e5012a346dc)
-   🇬🇧 United Kingdom: A start-up period is up to 12 months when you can focus on growing your business. (26 September 2026, sha 36979b44a10ce191)
-   🇪🇸 Spain: Si estás percibiendo la prestación por desempleo de nivel contributivo y has cesado con carácter total y definitivo tu actividad laboral, y te das de alta como trabajador o trabajadora por cuenta propia, podrás seguir percibiendo la prestación que te corresponda, mientras estés trabajando por cuenta propia, durante un máximo de 270 días o durante el tiempo inferior que te quede por percibir, siempre que solicites la compatibilidad en el improrrogable plazo de 15 días a contar desde la fecha de inicio de la actividad por cuenta propia. (26 September 2026, sha c6f5a3b707113360)
-   🇦🇺 Australia: If you’re eligible, you may be able to access: up to $300 worth of small business start-up costs, such as business insurance an allowance for up to 39 weeks and rental assistance for up to 26 weeks (26 September 2026, sha d17131e84b9283ce)
-   🇩🇪 Germany: Sie erhalten dafür 6 Monate lang einen monatlichen Zuschuss, der sich folgendermaßen zusammensetzt: Höhe Ihres zuletzt erhaltenen Arbeitslosengelds plus zusätzlich 300 Euro zur sozialen Absicherung. (26 September 2026, sha c6f95594bd97d8eb)
-   🇳🇱 Netherlands: De startperiode duurt 6 maanden. (26 September 2026, sha d0a630a570d4045b)
-   🇺🇸 United States: You are only entitled to a maximum of 26 weeks of Unemployment Insurance benefits. (26 September 2026, sha 4e3f8aeeae9d2c8a)

Methodology

Every row is a sentence quoted word for word from the named official page, read on the date shown and pinned to a hash of the page text we read. 8 of the 9 sources we could read state the figure; 1 do not and are listed as not published, never filled in. One figure per country: the longest period an out-of-work person can keep receiving an income-support benefit while building a business, on that country’s main national route, as its official page states it. Weeks and days are converted to months (26 weeks = 6 months, 270 days = 9 months).

Cite this data

Cite as: "Months of benefit while starting up: Australia vs 8 countries", Pontia, https://pontia.xyz/au/datasets/au-support-months/ (Read 26 September 2026)

Embed

```
<figure style="margin:0;padding:16px;border:1px solid #d0d4da;border-radius:12px;background:#ffffff;color:#0b0c0e;font:14px/1.5 system-ui,sans-serif"><p style="margin:0 0 6px;font-weight:600;background:#ffffff">Months of benefit while starting up: Australia vs 8 countries</p><p style="margin:0;background:#ffffff">Self-Employment Assistance can pay an allowance for up to 39 weeks (about 9 months) during 12 months of Small Business Coaching, with no job search. JobSeeker Payment itself has no time limit while your income stays under the cut-off. Across 8 countries the median is 9 months (range 6 to 24), each read from the official page on 26 September 2026.</p><figcaption style="margin-top:8px;font-size:12px;background:#ffffff">Source: <a href="https://pontia.xyz/au/datasets/au-support-months/" style="color:#0b0c0e">Pontia</a></figcaption></figure>
```

Cite this page

"Months of benefit while starting up: Australia vs 8 countries", Pontia, https://pontia.xyz/au/datasets/au-support-months/ (updated 25 September 2026)

## Related guides and tools

-   [Start your business and keep your payment](https://pontia.xyz/au/)
-   [Mutual obligation points, without the admin](https://pontia.xyz/au/mutual-obligation-points/)
-   [JobSeeker self-employed calculator](https://pontia.xyz/au/jobseeker-self-employed-calculator/)
-   [Young and not working yet? Your idea could be your first job.](https://pontia.xyz/au/young-people/)
-   [Australian State Small Business Support Index 2026](https://pontia.xyz/au/datasets/au-state-support-index/)
-   [Australia start-up support for job seekers: figures 2026](https://pontia.xyz/au/datasets/au-startup-support/)
-   [JobSeeker Payment while you build your business vs Youth Allowance while you build your business](https://pontia.xyz/au/compare/jobseeker-vs-ya/)
-   [JobSeeker Payment while you build your business vs Small Business Coaching and Self-Employment Allowance](https://pontia.xyz/au/compare/jobseeker-vs-sbc/)
-   [Youth Allowance while you build your business vs Small Business Coaching and Self-Employment Allowance](https://pontia.xyz/au/compare/ya-vs-sbc/)

---

Pontia is free and independent. It is not a government service and not financial, tax, legal or benefits advice; always check the official source linked on the page. Some tool links are affiliate links: we may earn a fee at no cost to you, and free options come first.

Contact: hello@pontia.xyz

Cite as: "Months of benefit while starting up: Australia vs 8 countries", Pontia, https://pontia.xyz/au/datasets/au-support-months/ (updated 26 September 2026)

Whole site in one file: https://pontia.xyz/llms-full.txt
