Artists and musicians out of paid work will be able to claim the dole for up to a year without having to supplement their income with casual work.

Ministers said the decision to extend jobseekers’ payments would allow the self-employed in the arts community to continue to build up on and focus on their portfolios or projects when out of work.

Artists’ unions for years have criticised the lack of support for writers and musicians among others, who cannot claim the dole without first applying for a job, even if it is not an artistic role.

After a successful pilot project involving almost 100 people involved in the arts, the easing of rules to claim welfare for those in the sector has now been agreed by the Government.

The extended scheme was announced yesterday by Arts Minister Josepha Madigan and Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty.

“The key feature about this is that they have a 12-month window where the normal activation rules don’t apply in terms of training. So they can build up their portfolio,” Ms Madigan said.

Artists will have to show that a certain amount of their income has come from that sector in order to be eligible for the special exemption. Ms Doherty said the criteria for artists had now been eased.

“If I was a writer and I am teaching you how to learn, how to express yourself and be a writer, that’s a form of you earning a living from your own artistry. And it is similar with acting and with singing and dancing. Even circus acts. We want to make sure that all of our artistic community is fully supported and that is different to other people on the life register and other professions.

“We love the arts in this country and anything we can do to help foster and allow artists earn a living for themselves is something we should be doing.”

As part of the changes, departments are working with artists groups, including musicians, writers, actors and street performers and by September it is expected that these groups will be able to access the new scheme.

Artist groups have welcomed the changes.

Board member of the Screen Directors Guild of Ireland, Dearbhla Walsh said: “This move (by the Department of Culture, Heritage and Gaeltacht and the Department Social Protection) to support directors at critical moments in their career is an important recognition of the erratic income directors make, especially in early years, and their contribution to culture. The ability to get income support will be a valuable resource that directors in Screen Directors Guild can draw on to continue to work in the film and TV world.”

No increased costs for the exchequer are expected from the changes, said the ministers. The main change will simply remove the need for self-employed artists to participate in labour activation requirements during the first year.