New Style Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) - Can I get New Style Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA)?

You can get New Style Jobseeker's Allowance for up to six months if:

• You’ve been working and have paid enough National Insurance contributions within the last couple of years.
• You’re unemployed or are working less than 16 hours per week
• You’re not in full-time education and are looking for work
• You don’t have an illness or disability which stops you from working

You can check your National Insurance record on GOV.UK, to see if you have enough NI contributions.

You can get New Style JSA at the same time as Universal Credit. However, your New Style JSA payments will count as income and reduce the amount of UC you’ll receive. 

You will have to accept a ‘claimant commitment’ if you make a claim. 

Income-based JSA has ended

If you were getting income-based JSA and were invited to claim Universal Credit, you might now be getting a transitional protection payment in your Universal Credit.

Read more about how transitional protection payments work and when they may reduce or stop.