Home > Advice centre > Benefits > Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA)
The Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) is dealt with by Job Centre Plus or
Job Centre - you can find your
local office here There is a lot of information in this section. Use
these quick links to go straight to specific topics:
Can you claim?
Contribution-based JSA
Income-based JSA
16 and 17 year olds
New Jobseeker interviews
Jobseeker's agreement
Approaching retirement
Studying
How much is it?
How to claim
If your circumstances change
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The benefit is paid:
• If you are available for work, and you are actively seeking work
Can you Claim?
• If you are between 18 and state pension age
and
• You are not working, or are working on average less than 16 hours
a week
Then you can claim JSA
Notes
If you have been paying NI contributions you may be able to get contribution-based JSA.
If you are on a low income you may get income-based JSA, even if you have not paid NI contributions.
Income-based JSA is based on how much the law says you need to live on.
You cannot usually get JSA if you are aged under 18.
People who are studying full-time cannot usually get JSA. For more information about how studying affects JSA and other benefits, see leaflet GL19: "School-leavers and students".
Redundancy payments and other money you get when a job ends, may affect JSA and the date from which you can get JSA.
Jobseeker's Allowance is paid fortnightly, straight into your bank or building society account.
Contribution-based JSA
You must have paid or be treated as having paid a certain number of NI contributions. For details, contact your Jobcentre Plus or Jobcentre.
You cannot get contribution-based JSA if you have only been paying NI contributions for self-employment, but you may be able to get income-based JSA.
Contribution-based JSA is paid at a fixed rate based on your age for up to 26 weeks.
Contribution-based JSA is reduced if you have an occupational or personal pension over a certain amount.
If you are entitled to contribution-based JSA, but your income is still below the minimum level of income the law says you need to live on, you may be able to get some income-based JSA.
Income-based JSA
Savings over £8,000 (£12,000 if you or your partner are aged 60 or over, £16,000 if you live in a residential care or nursing home) usually mean you cannot get income-based JSA.
(Partner is used to mean the person you are married to or the person you live with as if you are married to them).
Savings over £3,000 (£6,000 if you or your partner are aged 60 or over, £10,000 if you live in a residential care or nursing home) usually affect how much income-based JSA you can get.
If you have a partner who works an average of 24 hours a week or more you cannot usually get income-based JSA. This work does not affect your contribution-based JSA.A
To find out whether you are on a low income for income-based JSA claims, check with your social security office, or Jobcentre Plus or Jobcentre.
16 and 17 year olds
If you are aged 16 or 17 it is unlikely that you will have worked for long enough to pay sufficient NI contributions to get contribution-based JSA.
If you are an unemployed 16 or 17 year old you may be able to get income-based
JSA for a short period in special circumstances. For example, if one of
the following applies:
• you are forced to live away from your parents and will suffer severe
hardship if you do not get JSA
• you are a member of a couple who are responsible for a child
If you want more information about these special circumstances, contact your Jobcentre Plus or Jobcentre.
Before you go to your Jobcentre Plus or Jobcentre to claim JSA, you should register at your Careers Service or Connexion Service office for training and work. If they think you may be able to get JSA, they will give you a form to take to the Jobcentre Plus or Jobcentre. For your nearest Careers Service or Connexion Service, click here or look under Careers Service or Connexion Service in the business numbers section of the phone book.
If you are aged 16 or 17 and are unable to work you may be able to get Income Support.
If you want more information about who can qualify for Income Support, contact your social security office.
Jobseeker Interviews
If you decide to claim JSA, you will be given an appointment for a New Jobseeker Interview and a claim form to fill in.
At the interview, an adviser will:
• make sure you understand the rules for JSA
• discuss the kinds of work you are looking for and the best ways
of finding a job
• give you information about jobs, training and other opportunities
• check that you have filled in your form fully
To get JSA you must have a Jobseeker's Agreement. You will make this with the adviser at the interview, and you will both sign it. A private room can be provided, and additional support, such as an interpreter, but you need to let the Job Centre know in advance.
You will usually need to go to the Jobcentre every two weeks to confirm that you are still entitled to JSA.
You will also be asked to regular, more detailed interviews to look at your situation.
Jobseeker's Agreement
This includes details of:
• your availability for work
• the kind of work your are looking for
• what you will do to look for work and improve your chances of finding
work
• the services Jobcentre Plus provide to help
If you and the adviser cannot agree on the content of the Jobseeker's agreement, a decision maker will decide if the proposed contents are reasonable. If you do not agree with their decision, you can ask for it to be looked at again by another decision maker. If you still do not agree, you can appeal.
You will not usually be able to get JSA until you have a Jobseeker's Agreement, though in some situations you may be able to get a reduced allowance under the hardship provision.
Approaching retirement
If you take voluntary early retirement you may not get JSA straight away.
If you get an occupational or personal pension, it may reduce your JSA.
Men aged 60 to 64 may be better off claiming Pension Credit instead.
Studying
You cannot usually get JSA if you are studying full-time.
If you are one of a couple who are both full-time students and one of you is responsible for a child, you may be able to get JSA during the summer vacation.
If you are studying part-time, but are still available for and actively seeking work, you may be able to get JSA. This will also depend on the number of hours you study and your other circumstances.
If you are aged 25 or over and have been unemployed for 2 years or more, you may be able to do a full-time employment-related course for up to a year and still get JSA.
You may be able to do an Open University course and still get JSA.
How much is it?
Only use the amounts shown as a guide. The rules for benefits mean that your individual circumstances may affect the amount you can get. This means you will not always be able to work out exactly how much you will get by using these amounts.
These are all weekly amounts:
Contribution-based JSA
| Aged 16 to 24 |
£51.85 |
| Aged 25 or over |
£65.45 |
Income-based JSA
| Single person aged under 25 |
£51.85 |
| Single person aged 25 or over |
£65.45 |
| Couple, civil partners, both over 18 |
£102.75 |
| Lone parent, under 18 |
£51.85 |
| Lone parent, over 18 |
£65.45 |
How to claim?
Claim straight away. If you delay you may lose benefit. To claim JSA, contact your Jobcentre Plus or Jobcentre. You will be given a form to complete and a date for a Jobseeker's Interview.
You can also download claim forms online by clicking here
Changing Circumstances
If you are getting JSA, you should tell your Jobcentre Plus or Jobcentre straight away if your circumstances change.
You must tell your Jobcentre Plus or Jobcentre if you do any voluntary work. You should also tell them if you are paid in any way, including payments in kind, which could be something like meal vouchers.
If you go into residential care or a nursing home, you should get advice straightaway from your Jobcentre Plus or Jobcentre.