New Style Jobseeker's Allowance

Universal Credit has replaced any new applications to income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance.

Applying for New Style Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) 

You may be able to claim New Style Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) with, or instead of, Universal Credit, depending on your National Insurance contributions.

New Style Jobseeker's Allowance eligibility 

Your entitlement to New Style Jobseeker's Allowance is assessed on Class 1 National Insurance contributions you have paid or been credited, within the last two relevant tax years.

Your savings and your partner’s income and savings won’t affect how much you’re paid.

However, if you get an occupational pension or part-time earnings, the amount of New Style Jobseeker's Allowance may be reduced depending on the amount you get.

If your occupational pension is an inherited pension, it will not be taken into account.

How it works

To be eligible for New Style Jobseeker’s Allowance you must have:

• worked as an employee

and

• paid enough Class 1 National Insurance contributions usually within the last two relevant tax years (National Insurance credits may 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 also need to:

• be 18 or over
• be under State Pension age
• be available for work
• not be in full-time education
• be unemployed or work less than 16 hours per week on average and not earn more than £85.50 if you are 25 years of age or older (or more than £66.70 if you are under 25 years of age)
• not have an illness or disability which stops you from working
• live in Northern Ireland

While you get New Style Jobseeker's Allowance, you’ll need to take reasonable steps to look for work as agreed with your work coach.

New Style Jobseeker's Allowance and Universal Credit

You can get New Style Jobseeker’s Allowance for up to 182 days.

Depending on your circumstances, it can be claimed on its own or at the same time as Universal Credit.

If you get both at the same time, your New Style Jobseeker’s Allowance payment will be deducted from your Universal Credit payment – you may not get any extra money.

If you get New Style Jobseeker’s Allowance, you will get Class 1 National Insurance credits. In some circumstances you may only get these credits and no money.

When your New Style Jobseeker’s Allowance ends, you can talk to your work coach about your options.

If you are unable to work due to an underlying health condition, you should not go ahead with a claim to New Style Jobseeker’s Allowance.

Instead you should make a claim to New Style Employment and Support Allowance or Universal Credit.

How to claim online 

Make your Claim for New Style Jobseeker’s Allowance online.

To apply you will 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 six months including employer contact details and dates you worked with them
• private pension or annuity statement if you get, or could get, payments from one — you do not need to report one you've inherited from someone who died

To reclaim New Style Jobseeker's Allowance, you need to apply again, even if your details have not changed.

Once you have sent the online New Style JSA claim form, your application will be forwarded to the Jobseeker's Allowance benefit processing centre for assessment.

Backdating your claim

When you apply, you can ask for your claim to be backdated by up to three months if you were not able to claim sooner.

If you want to backdate your claim, you will need to provide:

• the date you want your claim to start from
• the reason your claim was delayed

Your claim may not be backdated if you do not have a good reason for the delay in making your claim.

If you are unable to make your claim online you may also claim New Style Jobseeker’s Allowance by contacting the Jobseeker’s Allowance Processing Centre. 

If you use sign language

You might be able to use the video relay service to claim New Style Jobseeker’s Allowance using British Sign Language (BSL) or Irish Sign Language (ISL).

To access the service go to:

•  Jobs & Benefits office

If you’re deaf, have hearing loss or are speech-impaired

You can contact the Department for Communities by using Relay UK. You can find out how to at: Jobseeker’s Allowance Processing Centre.

Alternative format

If you need written correspondence in an alternative format such as Braille, large print or audio CD, you can tell your work coach or contact the Jobseeker’s Allowance Processing Centre.

If you can, you should fill in the New Style JSA claim form online.

After you make your claim

Once your claim has been received, you will be contacted by phone within five working days of applying to be invited for interview with a work coach.

You may get a text message to let you know when to expect the call.

The phone number may be withheld, unknown or begin with 0800. It is important that you answer this call. It may cause a delay in processing, or a disallowance of your claim if you don't.

You do not need to contact the Department for Communities unless it has been more than five days since you applied and you haven’t heard anything.

The Department for Communities may contact if any more information is needed to assess your claim.

When claiming New Style Jobseeker's Allowance, you may get text messages from the Department for Communities (DfC). They will always be clearly marked from DfC and will never ask you to click on a link, or to give personal information or financial details by message or email.

Your New Style JSA interview

If you’re invited to an interview, you must go to it. The interview will be at your local Jobs & Benefits office.

You will be asked to provide documents to confirm your identity and then you will make an agreement about what steps you’ll take to look for work.  

Proof of identity

You will need to bring all of these documents to your interview:

• one photographic proof of identity
• one proof of address
• one further proof of identity such as a P60 or a bank card

If you have a P45 from your previous employer, bring this to your interview. When you present it, tell your work coach if you’ve already got or claimed a tax refund from HM Revenue & Customs for the current tax year. You can also use this as your further proof of identity.

Examples of photographic identity include:

• current passport
• driving licence
• biometric residence permit
• certificate of naturalisation as a British citizen
• permanent residence permit

Examples of proof of address include:

• payslip or pension statement dated within the last six months
• utility bill dated within the last six months
• rates bill dated within the last six months
• student loan documents

Examples of further proof of identity 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.

Support at your interview

You can take someone with you to your New Style Jobseeker's Allowance interview.

Contact the Jobs & Benefits office 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)
• a foreign language interpreter and do not have someone who can help with interpretation

Find the contact details of your Jobs & Benefits office.

Your agreement to look for work - claimant commitment

At your New Style Jobseeker's Allowance 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

Your New Style Jobseeker's Allowance might be reduced or stopped if you do not do what you’ve agreed to in your claimant commitment and you can't give a good reason.

Depending on your circumstances you may be able to make a claim for Class 1 National Insurance credits. This is known as claiming as a non-claimant.

If you disagree with a decision

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

After your New Style Jobseeker's Allowance interview

The Department for Communities will write to you to either:

• let you know you're eligible for New Style Jobseeker's Allowance and how much you’ll get

or

• explain why you’re not eligible for New Style Jobseeker's Allowance

How much New Style Jobseeker's Allowance you'll get

There’s a maximum amount you can get, but how much you’re entitled to depends on your age.

Use a Benefits Calculator to check how much New Style Jobseeker's Allowance you can get, and how your other benefits will be affected.

How you’re 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 seven days at the start of your claim for New Style Jobseeker’s Allowance.  No benefit is paid for these first seven days.

You will need to go to review meetings with your work coach from your local Jobs & Benefits office. The date your first payment will be made depends on when you go to review meetings.

Your first payment may not be for the full amount.

After your first payment

Payments will usually be made every two weeks and they will be the full amount you are entitled to. 

Maintaining your New Style Jobseeker's Allowance claim

You must continue to fulfil the agreed actions on your claimant commitment.

You can search and apply for work at JobApplyNI

Going to regular review meetings

Your work coach will arrange meetings with you at regular intervals. It is important that you go to these meetings. If you don't, your payments may be reduced or stopped.

At these meetings, you must show your work coach what you’ve been doing to look for work, for example proof of job applications and interviews.

If you are experiencing domestic abuse, you might be able to get a break of up to 13 weeks from job seeking. Speak to your work coach if you need this support.

Sanctions and when payment can be reduced or stopped

Your New Style Jobseeker's Allowance 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 a sanction.

Learn more about Benefit sanctions

Contact your Jobs & Benefits office as soon as possible if any of these sanctions apply to you. You may avoid a sanction if you have good reason.

You’ll be told how long your payment will be reduced or stopped for. It could be for up to 26 weeks (about six months).

If your New Style 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 impose a sanction, you can ask for the decision to be looked at again - this is called a mandatory reconsideration.

If you disagree with the outcome of the mandatory reconsideration, you can appeal to the Appeals Service.

You should continue with any New Style Jobseeker's Allowance claim until the dispute is settled.

Report a change of circumstances

You can report a change of circumstances by contacting the Jobseeker’s Allowance Processing Centre. If you’re not sure whether you need to report a change you can call them to check.

If you’re claiming Universal Credit as well as New Style Jobseeker’s Allowance, you must report changes to both services.

You must report if you: 

• change your name, address, bank details or phone 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 Northern Ireland for any period of time
• go on holiday, including holidays in Northern Ireland

Volunteering will not normally affect your New Style Jobseeker’s Allowance but you should report it before you start.

Changes to income and benefits

Tell New Style Jobseeker’s Allowance if you or anyone who lives with you:

• start getting an occupational pension
• start part time work

Changes to a medical condition or disability

You need to report if you:

• have any changes to a medical condition or disability
• go into hospital, a care home or sheltered accommodation

If you’ve 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 the money back.

Get a proof of benefit letter for New Style Jobseeker’s Allowance

A proof of benefit letter may be needed to access various government supports and services.

If you need proof that you are getting New Style Jobseeker’s Allowance you can get a proof of benefit letter online.

If you can't use the online service, phone the Jobseeker’s Allowance Processing Centre. 

It is important that you choose the correct benefit that you are / or were getting when requesting a proof of benefit letter. If you choose the incorrect benefit, no letter will be issued.

Benefit overpayments

There are circumstances when you may be paid too much benefit and you will be asked to repay this.

To make a repayment contact Debt Management.

If you need further support, contact Debt Management as soon as possible to discuss an affordable repayment plan and other potential options.

New Style JSA - review of claims with an inherited pension

You may be entitled to a payment if you claimed New Style Jobseeker’s Allowance before 29 November 2023 and said on your claim that you had a pension.

New style Jobseeker’s Allowance claims made before 29 November 2023 are being reviewed because during that time, income from a pension inherited from someone who died may have been incorrectly treated in the same way as income from other pensions.

Income from other pensions can affect how much New Style Jobseeker's Allowance you get. Income from pensions inherited from someone who has died does not affect New Style Jobseeker's Allowance claims.

Eligibility

You may be owed some money if all the following apply:

• you made a claim for New Style  Jobseeker's Allowance before 29 November 2023
• you told the Department for Communities that you had income from a pension

and

• you had income from a pension inherited from someone who has died

How to apply

The Department for Communities are writing to claimants who may be eligible for a payment

If you are eligible you can return the reply slip included with the letter and send it to:  

Jobseeker’s Allowance
JSA Benefit Processing Centre
106 – 108 Holywood Road
Belfast
BT4 1NU

You will need to include:

• your National Insurance number
• copies of your pension statements showing that the pension is inherited and the amounts of pension paid for the dates of your New Style Jobseeker's Allowance claim
• your bank, building society or credit union account details (if they have changed since you claimed New Style Jobseeker's Allowance)

If you would like more information or want to check if you're eligible, you can contact the Jobseeker’s Allowance Processing Centre.

After you apply

Your claim will be looked to see if you should have been paid more New Style Jobseeker's Allowance. 

If you are owed money you will get a letter to tell you. You will be paid into the bank, building society or credit union account your New Style Jobseeker's Allowance was paid into, or another nominated account.

More useful links

• Support if you're employed or looking for work
• Looking for work
• Housing Benefit / Rates Relief
• Universal Credit if you're claiming other benefits