If you have not made two years' worth of National Insurance contributions, have no savings and do not have enough to live on, you may be entitled to claim income-based Job Seeker's Allowance.
To qualify for either type of JSA, you must sign an agreement stating what work you are willing to do, the hours you will work and steps you will take to get back to work. You must also show that you will be actively seeking and available for work, and working or training for no more than 16 hours per week.
If your are sick or disabled you may be entitled to Income Support and other disability benefits; you will not have to sign on but you will need to take medical evidence (for example, a letter from you doctor) to the Benefit Agency, as proof.
Anyone wanting to claim Job Seekers Allowance should obtain a claim form from the Job Centre. Try to have some proof of identity with you as this will speed things up. You will then be interviewed, asked to complete and sign a Job Seeker's Agreement and your eligibility for Job Seeker's Allowance will be calculated.
If you have entered the country in the last five years you may have to prove that you are 'habitually resident' in the Common Travel Area (the UK, Republic of Ireland, Channel Islands or the Isle of Man) before you can get Job Seeker's Allowance, Income Support, Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Benefit. Get advice if you are refused benefit. You can claim personal benefits even if you have no permanent address, often known as being of No Fixed Abode (NFA), or Person Without Accommodation (PWA). If you are classed as PWA you will only get the basic personal allowance. You will not be allowed any of the premiums that are normally paid to the elderly, sick, disabled or those with dependants. You should be able to claim from your local Benefit Agency office. In emergencies outside office hours you can claim benefits from the Emergency Office:
London Emergency Office
Wedge House
36-40 Blackfriars Road
London
SE1 8PB
Tel: 020 7902 8769
Nearest tube:
Southwark
Opening times for the public:
Mon - Fri 6pm - 10pm; Sat 9am - 10pm;
Sun and Bank Holidays (not Christmas Day)
12 noon - 8pm
Telephone service:
Mon - Fri 3pm -10pm; Sat 9am - 10pm
Sun and Bank Holidays 12 noon - 8pm
Most benefit is paid two weeks in arrears. If you cannot wait for your money you can apply to the Social Fund for a Crisis Loan which you must repay.
Job Seeker's Allowance acts as a 'passport' to other benefits and gives you the right to free prescriptions, free dental treatment, and free eye tests and glasses.
If you move into accommodation you may be able to claim Housing Benefit and should get a claim form from the Job Centre or the local authority Housing Benefit Department. If your claim for job Seeker's Allowance is successful, then the Benefits Agency will be notified and your Housing Benefit claim processed accordingly. Please note, though, that there are regulations capping your Housing Benefit to the 'going rate for a bedsit in the local borough', and if your rent is above this, you will have to pay the difference.
If you have children and work 16 hours a week or more you may be able to claim Working Families Tax Credit if your wages are low.
The system can be complicated and you may be discouraged from claiming. If you are refused benefit or want help to make a claim, contact your local advice centre.
Department of Social Security Benefits Agency
