New Style Jobseeker's Allowance

Overview

If you’re unemployed or work less than 16 hours a week on average you may be able to get New Style Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA).

New Style JSA is a fortnightly payment that can be claimed on its own or at the same time as Universal Credit.

New Style JSA is a contribution based benefit. Normally, this means you may be able to get it if you’ve paid enough National Insurance (NI) contributions, usually in the 2 full tax years before the year you’re claiming in. National Insurance credits can also count.

If you qualify, you can get New Style JSA for up to 182 days. After this your work coach will talk to you about your options.

If you qualify for both New Style JSA and Universal Credit, any New Style JSA you receive will be taken into account as income for Universal Credit.

Why should I claim New Style JSA?

Your savings and capital (or your partner’s savings, capital and income) are not taken into account when claiming New Style JSA. However, your earnings and any payment you’re getting from a pension can affect the amount you may receive.

While you receive New Style JSA you’ll be awarded Class 1 National Insurance credits, which can help towards your State Pension and other contributory benefits in the future. It is a regular fortnightly payment.

The following table shows what you may be able to claim depending on your circumstances:

Your situation	New Style JSA	Universal Credit
You’re unemployed or work less than 16 hours a week on average and you need support between jobs. You’ve paid and/or been credited with Class 1 NI contributions in the last 2 to 3 years as an employee.	You can apply for New Style JSA – even if your partner works or you and your partner have savings over £16,000.	You can apply for Universal Credit if you (and your partner) have children or housing costs. You can also apply for Universal Credit if you (and your partner) have £16,000 or less in savings between you. Your partner’s income will be taken into account as you’ll need to claim Universal Credit as a couple. Any New Style JSA you receive will also be taken into account as income but you may still get Universal Credit.
You’re unemployed or work less than 16 hours a week on average. You need support between jobs and you’ve not paid or have not been credited with Class 1 NI contributions, usually in the last 2 to 3 years.	You’re unlikely to get New Style JSA if you’ve not paid or have not been credited with NI contributions.	You can apply for Universal Credit if you (and your partner) have children or housing costs. You can also apply for Universal Credit if you (and your partner) have £16,000 or less in savings between you. Your partner’s income will be taken into account as you’ll need to apply for Universal Credit as a couple.
You’re unemployed or work less than 16 hours a week on average. You’ve paid and/or been credited with Class 1 NI contributions, usually in the last 2 to 3 years as an employee. Between you, you and your partner have more than £16,000 in savings.	You can apply for New Style JSA. New Style JSA is not affected by you and your partner’s savings.	You’re unlikely to get Universal Credit because your savings are too high.
You’re unemployed or work less than 16 hours a week on average. You’ve paid and/or been credited with Class 1 NI contributions, usually in the last 2 to 3 years as an employee. Your partner works. Between you, you and your partner have less than £16,000 in savings.	You can apply for New Style JSA, as your partner’s work does not affect your entitlement.	You can also apply for Universal Credit as you and your partner have less than £16,000 in savings. Your partner’s income will be taken into account as you’ll need to apply for Universal Credit as a couple. Any New Style JSA you receive will also be taken into account as income but you may still get Universal Credit.
You’re unemployed or work less than 16 hours a week on average. You receive pension income from previous employment. You’ve paid and/or been credited with Class 1 NI contributions, usually in the last 2 to 3 years as an employee.	You can apply for New Style JSA. Your pension income may be taken into account.	If you and your partner have less than £16,000 of savings you might also get Universal Credit. Your pension income will be taken into account. Any New Style JSA you receive will also be taken into account as income, but you may still get Universal Credit.
You’re unemployed or work less than 16 hours a week on average. You have children. You’ve paid and/or been credited with Class 1 NI contributions, usually in the last 2 to 3 years as an employee.	You can apply for New Style JSA as you’ve paid/been credited with NI contributions so you may qualify. New Style JSA does not include additional amounts for children.	You can also apply for Universal Credit, as it is a household assessment and you can receive an amount for children.
You’re unemployed or work less than 16 hours a week on average. You live in rented accommodation, or have a mortgage or home loan, and need help to pay the cost. You’ve paid and/or been credited with Class 1 NI contributions, usually in the last 2 to 3 years as an employee.	You can apply for New Style JSA as you’ve paid/been credited with NI contributions so may qualify. New Style JSA does not include an additional amount for housing costs.	You can also apply for Universal Credit, as it is a household assessment and you can receive an amount for your housing costs.

Eligibility

To get New Style JSA you usually need to have been working within the last 2 to 3 years as an employee, and have paid (or been credited with) Class 1 National Insurance contributions.

You’ll need to be either unemployed or work less than 16 hours a week on average.

You’ll also need to take reasonable steps to look for work.

If you have an illness or disability which stops you from working you cannot get New Style JSA, but you may be able to get ‘New Style’ Employment and Support Allowance.

How to claim

To apply, you’ll 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
• private pension statement letter

Apply online

You cannot apply online if you’re under 18.

Apply for New Style JSA

If you cannot apply online

If you need help applying or you’re aged 16 to 17, contact Jobcentre Plus.

After you make your claim

If you applied online, you’ll get a text or email to confirm that your application has been submitted.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will then contact you within 10 days of applying.

You do not need to contact DWP unless it has been more than 10 days since you applied and you haven’t heard anything.

If you’re eligible

DWP will contact you within 10 days to schedule an interview at your local Jobcentre Plus office that you must attend. It will normally be with a work coach from your local Jobcentre Plus office.

You’ll need to bring some documents with you to the interview, including your P45 (if you have one) and 3 further identification documents.

At the interview, you’ll be asked some questions to confirm your identity and then you’ll make an agreement about what steps you’ll take to look for work. This agreement is called a ‘Claimant Commitment’.

If you need support during the appointment, you can have another person with you.

Contact Jobcentre Plus before your appointment if you:

• need a foreign language interpreter, and do not have someone who can help with interpretation
• have a disability or health condition, for example a hearing impairment which means you cannot attend a phone interview

If you’re not eligible

DWP will send you a letter within 10 days to explain why you are not eligible for JSA.

Your JSA interview

You’ll 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. You can also use this as your further proof of identity.

Photographic proof of identity

This can include any of the following, that has not expired:

• a passport from any country
• UK full or provisional photo-card driving licence
• armed forces identity card
• police identity card
• NHS identity card containing a biometric
• identity cards with the Proof of Age Standards Scheme (PASS) logo
• foreign national identity card, but not identity cards issued under the UK National Identity Scheme
• a residence permit, registration certificate or other document showing your right to live permanently in the UK, if you’re a European Economic Area (EEA) or Swiss national
• a permanent residence card issued to a family member of an EEA or Swiss national
• a biometric residence permit showing you’re allowed to stay in the UK for 6 months or more
• an immigration status document or other travel document showing you’re allowed to stay in the UK indefinitely
• a certificate of registration or naturalisation as a British citizen, which shows you’re allowed to work in the UK
• foreign photo-card driving licence with an international driving permit, valid for up to 12 months up to the date you entered the UK

Proof of address

This can include any of the following:

• current council tax statement
• UK full or provisional photo-card driving licence (if not already used as personal photographic identity)
• UK full paper driving licence
• most recent tax notification from HMRC, for example, tax assessment, statement of account, or notice of coding, but not a P45 or P60
• any other correspondence from HMRC
• mortgage statement from a recognised lender
• local council rent card or tenancy agreement
• proof from the electoral register that you live at the address
• letter from your employer
• personal loan account statement
• vehicle registration documents
• letter from an accountant or solicitor
• letter from a school, college or university
• student loan documents
• life assurance or insurance policies
• buildings, contents or vehicle insurance policies
• bank, building society, credit card or credit union statement, dated within the last 6 months
• mobile telephone contract or statement, dated within the last 6 months
• landline telephone bill, dated within the last 6 months
• utility bill, dated within the last 6 months, for example: gas, water, electricity
• certificate from a utility supplier showing you use a pre-payment arrangement at your address, dated within the last 6 months

Further proof of identity

As well as photographic evidence and proof of address, you’ll need to bring another document to prove your identity. This can include any of the following:

• P45 or P60
• savings account book
• personal cheque book
• current debit, credit, or store card with a statement confirming the details on the card

Or any of the following if not already used to prove your address:

• most recent tax notification from HMRC, for example, tax assessment, statement of account, or notice of coding
• student loan documents
• current council tax statement
• mortgage statement from a recognised lender
• local council rent card or tenancy agreement
• personal loan account statement
• life assurance or insurance policies
• building, contents or vehicle insurance policies
• current or recent payslip or pension statement, dated within the last 6 months
• bank, building society, credit card or credit union statement, dated within the last 6 months
• mobile telephone contract or statement, dated within the last 6 months
• landline telephone bill, dated within the last 6 months
• utility bill, dated within the last 6 months, for example: gas, water, electricity
• certificate from a utility supplier showing you use a pre-payment arrangement at your address, dated within the last 6 months

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

Support at your interview

You can take someone with you to your JSA interview.

Contact your Jobcentre Plus before the interview if you need support because of a disability or health condition (for example, if you’re deaf and need a sign language interpreter).

Sign an agreement to look for work (‘Claimant Commitment’)

At your JSA interview, you must sign an agreement about what steps you’ll take to look for a job. This is called a ‘Claimant Commitment’.

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

If you disagree with a decision

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