Jobseeker's Allowance

Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) is an unemployment benefit paid by the Government of the United Kingdom to people who are unemployed and actively seeking work. It is part of the social security benefits system and is intended to cover living expenses while the claimant is out of work.

JSA is administered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in England, Wales, and Scotland, and in Northern Ireland by the Department for Communities. Claimants must be between 18 years of age and the State Pension age.^[1]

There is now one form of the benefit, based on National Insurance contributions, referred to by the DWP as New Style Jobseeker's Allowance or New Style JSA for short.^[2] The previous form of the benefit, which was based on income and had replaced Income Support for most customers in 1996, is no longer available. Universal Credit was due to replace Jobseeker's Allowance and other benefits for 500,000 new claimants from October 2013,^[3] and eventually will replace income-based Jobseeker's Allowance entirely.^[4]

To be eligible for JSA, claimants must state that they are actively seeking work by filling in a Jobseeker's Agreement form and attending a New Jobseeker interview (NJI). They must also go to a Jobcentre Plus every two weeks to "sign on", that is, to certify that they are still actively seeking work. Until 2020, claims for Jobseeker's Allowance were maintained by the legacy Jobseeker's Allowance Payment System (JSAPS).