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You can apply for New Style Jobseeker鈥檚 Allowance (JSA) to help you when you鈥檙e looking for work.

You cannot apply for income-based JSA any more. If you鈥檙e currently getting income-based JSA, you鈥檒l keep getting payments while you鈥檙e eligible until your claim ends.

You could get Universal Credit at the same time or instead of New Style JSA. Check if you鈥檙e eligible for Universal Credit.

What you need to do

1. Check you鈥檙e eligible.

2. Make a claim for New Style Jobseeker鈥檚 Allowance (JSA) and go to an interview at your local Jobcentre Plus office.

3. Keep to your agreement to look for work. This agreement is called a 鈥楥laimant Commitment鈥� and you will create it at your interview.

Your JSA payments will be reduced or stopped if you do not keep to your agreement to look for work and cannot give a good reason.

What you鈥檒l get

There鈥檚 a maximum amount you can get - but how much you鈥檙e entitled to depends on your age.

Use a benefits calculator to check how much JSA you can get, and how your other benefits will be affected.

Age	JSA weekly amount
Up to 24	up to 拢71.70
25 or over	up to 拢90.50

How you鈥檙e paid

All benefits, pensions and allowances are usually paid into your bank, building society or credit union account.

Your first payment

You may have to wait up to 7 days after applying for your JSA to start, and up to 2 weeks after that to get your first payment.

Your first payment may not be for the full amount.

After your first payment

Payments will usually be made every 2 weeks and they will be the full amount.

If you鈥檙e moving to Universal Credit from income-based JSA

If your income-based JSA claim is ending because you鈥檙e making a new claim for Universal Credit, you鈥檒l automatically continue to get the amount of JSA you currently receive, as long as you鈥檙e still eligible. You鈥檒l normally get this for 2 weeks, starting from the date of your new claim.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will write to you telling you how this works.

To be eligible for New Style Jobseeker鈥檚 Allowance (JSA) you鈥檒l need to have both:

• worked as an employee
• paid Class 1 National Insurance contributions, usually in the last 2 to 3 years (National Insurance credits can also count)

You will not be eligible if you were self-employed and only paid Class 2 National Insurance contributions, unless you were working as a share fisherman or a volunteer development worker.

You鈥檒l also need to:

• be 18 or over (there are some exceptions if you鈥檙e 16 or 17 - contact Jobcentre Plus for advice)
• be under the State Pension age
• not be in full-time education
• be available for work
• not be working at the moment, or be working less than 16 hours per week on average
• not have an illness or disability which stops you from working
• live in the UK

While you receive JSA, you鈥檒l need to take reasonable steps to look for work as agreed with your work coach.

Your savings and your partner鈥檚 income and savings will not affect your claim.

You can get New Style Jobseeker鈥檚 Allowance (JSA) for up to 182 days (about 6 months). After this you can talk to your work coach about your options.

Claiming Universal Credit and New Style JSA

You might be able to get Universal Credit at the same time or instead of New Style JSA.

If you get both benefits, your New Style JSA payments:

• count as income when claiming Universal Credit
• will reduce the amount of Universal Credit you receive

Your New Style JSA will usually be paid more regularly than Universal Credit. You鈥檒l also get different National Insurance credits which count towards your State Pension and help you qualify for other benefits.

Check if you鈥檙e eligible for Universal Credit.

Before you apply for New Style Jobseeker鈥檚 Allowance (JSA), check if you鈥檙e eligible.

To apply, you鈥檒l need your:

• National Insurance number
• bank or building society account details (or those of a family member or trusted friend)
• employment details for the past 6 months, including employer contact details and dates you worked with them

You鈥檒l also need to provide a statement letter if you receive any money from:

• your private pension
• your workplace pension
• an annuity you鈥檝e bought

To reclaim you need to apply again, even if your details have not changed.

You can backdate your claim by up to 3 months in certain circumstances.

Apply online

You cannot apply online if you鈥檙e under 18 or if you鈥檙e applying as an appointee on someone else鈥檚 behalf.

If you cannot apply online or need alternative formats

You can apply another way if any of the following apply:

• you鈥檙e aged 16 to 17
• you鈥檙e applying as an appointee on someone else鈥檚 behalf
• you need help applying
• you need communications to be sent to you in an alternative format, such as braille, large print or audio CD

You need to either:

• contact Jobcentre Plus if you live in England, Scotland or Wales
• if you live in Northern Ireland

After you make your claim

If you gave your mobile number or email address in your online application, you鈥檒l get a text or email to confirm it鈥檚 been submitted.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will then contact you within 14 days of applying. You鈥檒l either:

• be invited to an interview at your local Jobcentre Plus office
• receive a letter to explain why you鈥檙e not eligible for JSA

You do not need to contact DWP unless it has been more than 14 days since you applied and you have not heard anything.

If you disagree with a decision

You can challenge a decision about your claim. This is called asking for mandatory reconsideration.

Make a complaint

You can complain about Jobcentre Plus if you鈥檙e unhappy with the service you鈥檝e received.

If you鈥檙e invited to an interview, you must attend. It will be at your local Jobcentre Plus office.

You鈥檒l be asked some questions to confirm your identity and then you鈥檒l make an agreement about what steps you鈥檒l take to look for work.

Documents you need to bring to your interview

You鈥檒l need to bring all of the following:

• one photographic proof of identity
• one proof of address
• one further proof of identity

If you have a P45 from your employer, bring this to your interview. When you present it, tell your work coach if you鈥檝e already received or claimed a tax refund from HMRC for the current tax year.

You can also use your P45 as your further proof of identity.

Photographic proof of identity

Examples include your:

• current passport
• driving licence
• eVisa - or expired biometric residence permit (BRP) if you do not have an eVisa
• certificate of naturalisation as a British citizen
• permanent residence permit

Proof of address

Examples include a:

• payslip or pension statement dated within the last 6 months
• utility bill dated within the last 6 months
• Council Tax bill dated within the last 6 months
• student loan documentation

Further proof of identity

Examples include your:

• P60
• savings account book
• personal cheque book
• current debit, credit or store card with a statement confirming the card details

Utility bills can be used for proof of address and as further proof of identity if they are from different suppliers.

Read the complete list of documents you can bring to your interview.

Support at your interview

You can take someone with you to your JSA interview.

before the interview if you need:

• support because of a disability or health condition (for example, if you鈥檙e deaf and need a sign language interpreter)
• a foreign language interpreter and do not have someone who can help with interpretation

Sign an agreement to look for work (鈥楥laimant Commitment鈥�)

At your JSA interview, you must sign an agreement about what steps you鈥檒l take to look for a job. This is called a 鈥楥laimant Commitment鈥�.

You and your work coach will agree what goes in your Claimant Commitment. This could include:

• what you need to do to look for work - for example registering with recruitment agencies, writing a CV
• how many hours you need to spend looking for work each week

What you agree to do will depend on things like:

• your health
• your responsibilities at home
• how much help you need to get work or increase your income

After your JSA interview

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will write to you to either:

• let you know you are eligible for JSA and how much you鈥檒l get
• explain why you鈥檙e not eligible for JSA

You will not need to do what you鈥檝e agreed in your Claimant Commitment if you鈥檙e not eligible for JSA.

When you apply to claim JSA, your work coach will make an agreement with you to look for work. This agreement is called a 鈥楥laimant Commitment鈥�.

Your Claimant Commitment could include:

• what you need to do to look for work - for example registering with recruitment agencies or writing a CV
• how many hours you need to spend looking for work each week

You should continue to do all the things you have agreed to do if you can do them safely.

You can search and apply for work using the 鈥楩ind a job鈥� service.

Attending regular appointments

Your work coach will arrange appointments with you every 1 to 2 weeks.

At these appointments, you must show your work coach what you鈥檝e been doing to look for work, for example proof of job applications and interviews.

When payment can be reduced or stopped

Your JSA payments can be reduced or stopped for a period if you do not do something your work coach asks you to do. This is called being 鈥榮anctioned鈥�. For example, if you:

• do not take part in an appointment with your work coach
• do not accept or keep to your agreement to look for work
• turn down a job or training course
• do not apply for any jobs you鈥檙e told about
• do not take part in any interviews you鈥檙e invited to
• do not go to any training booked for you or take part in employment schemes

You may also be sanctioned if you:

• are not available to start work straight away
• choose to take a pay cut at your current job without a good reason
• have your pay cut at your current job because of something you did, such as your behaviour
• leave your last job or training without good reason or because of your behaviour

You鈥檒l be told how long your payment will be reduced or stopped for. It could be for up to 26 weeks (about 6 months).

If you want to know how long your JSA payment could be reduced or stopped for, read part 3 or part 4 of the guidance on JSA sanctions.

If your JSA payment is reduced or stopped

If your payment is reduced or stopped, you should keep looking for work. Your benefit payment could be affected for longer if you do not.

If you disagree with the decision to stop payment, you can ask for the decision to be looked at again - this is called 鈥榤andatory reconsideration鈥�.

If you disagree with the outcome of the mandatory reconsideration, you can appeal to the Social Security and Child Support Tribunal.

You should continue with any JSA claim until the dispute is settled.

If you claim Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction

You should contact your local council immediately. They鈥檒l tell you what to do to continue getting support.

If your claim is ended

If you get income-based JSA, your claim may be ended if you鈥檙e not available for or actively seeking work.

You cannot apply for income-based JSA again. Instead, check if you鈥檙e eligible for Universal Credit and eligible for New Style Jobseeker鈥檚 Allowance (JSA). You could get both at the same time.

Hardship payments

If you were claiming income-based JSA, you may be able to get a hardship payment if your JSA payments have been stopped. You do not have to pay it back.

A hardship payment is a reduced amount (usually 60%) of your JSA.

If you were claiming New Style Jobseeker鈥檚 Allowance (JSA), you cannot get a hardship payment.

Eligibility

You can get a hardship payment if you cannot pay for rent, heating, food or other basic needs for you or your child.

You must be 18 or over.

You鈥檒l have to show that you鈥檝e tried to find the money from somewhere else, such as borrowing from a friend or working extra hours.

How to claim

Speak to your Jobcentre Plus adviser or work coach to find out how to claim a hardship payment.

As long as you鈥檙e still eligible, you鈥檒l keep getting income-based Jobseeker鈥檚 Allowance (JSA) until your circumstances change.

Jobcentre Plus will talk to you about your options. If you鈥檙e eligible you might be able to claim Universal Credit.

You need to take reasonable steps to look for work while getting JSA.

Working hours and income

If you start working more than 16 hours a week, you might stop being eligible for JSA.

You might stop being eligible for income-based JSA if:

• your partner starts working 24 hours or more a week, or increases their hours to 16 hours or more a week
• your savings increase to 拢16,000 or more (including your partner鈥檚 savings)

You must tell Jobcentre Plus if your circumstances change, for example you start working or your income changes. This might affect how much Jobseekers鈥� Allowance (JSA) you get.聽

If you get more than one benefit, you鈥檒l need to report your change to each benefit office.

This page does not cover every change you must report. Call Jobcentre Plus if you鈥檙e not sure whether you need to report a change.

New Style JSA

If you get New Style JSA, you must report if you:聽

• change your name, address, bank details or telephone number

• become ill or go into hospital

• start or stop caring for someone

• start or stop education, training or an apprenticeship

• start a job, including self-employment

• do any paid, unpaid or voluntary work, even if it is only for a few hours

• start getting, stop getting, or get a different amount of other benefits or pensions

• leave Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) for any period of time

• go on holiday, including holidays in Great Britain

Income-based JSA

If you get income-based Jobseeker鈥檚 Allowance, you must report the following changes.

Changes to personal details

You need to report if:

• you or your partner change name, address, bank details or telephone number聽聽

• anybody starts or stops living with you聽聽

• you or someone included on your claim changes immigration status

• you go on holiday, including holidays in Great Britain

• you or anyone who lives with you leaves Great Britain (England, Scotland or Wales) for any period of time

• your partner or someone you live with dies

You also need to report if you, your partner, or anyone who lives with you:

• gets married or forms a civil partnership

• gets divorced or ends a civil partnership聽

• has a baby or gets pregnant

• goes into prison or legal custody

Changes to work and education

You need to report if you, your partner, or anyone who lives with you:

• starts or stops education, training or an apprenticeship

• finds or finishes a job, or starts working different hours

• is involved in a trade dispute, or unable to work because of a trade dispute (for example, if there鈥檚 a strike)

Changes to income and benefits

You need to report if your household income goes up or down. Tell us if you or anyone who lives with you:

• has a change to earnings

• gets paid back-pay (sometimes called 鈥榓rrears鈥�) for earnings from work

• gets a different amount of benefit or pensions

• has a change to the amount of any other money coming in (for example student loans or grants, sick pay or money from a charity)

Changes to your savings or assets

You need to report if the total savings and assets in your household is more than 拢6,000.

You also need to report if you or anyone who lives with you:

• has a change to the amount of savings or investments they own聽聽

• becomes the owner of any land, buildings or premises or sells any land, buildings or premises

• gets a one-off payment such as inheritance or lump sum payment

Changes to a medical condition or disability

You need to report if:

• you or someone included on your claim has any changes to a medical condition or disability

• you or someone included on your claim goes into hospital, a care home or sheltered accommodation

• you or someone included on your claim starts or stops caring for someone

• anybody starts or stops getting Carer鈥檚 Allowance, Carer Support Payment or an extra amount of Universal Credit for caring for you

How to report

You can report a change of circumstances by:

• calling the JSA helpline
• writing to the Jobcentre Plus office that pays your JSA - the address is on the letters you get about your JSA

If you鈥檝e been paid too much

If you do not report a change straight away or give wrong or incomplete information, you might be paid too much. If you are, you might have to pay some of the money back.