A quick question regarding Jobseekers Allowance (contribution based)

Gandalfthegrey

Just out of curiosity....if you were on JSA (contribution based) for the full 6 months, how long do you have to wait to be entitled to another 6 months?
Is it based on a tax year? or is it a max of 6 months per life time? or something else?

Many thanks

cassieB57

It depends when you made the claim. If you first claimed in 2010 they would probably have used the 2 tax years 2007-8 and 2008-9 to calculate your NI. Assuming you also paid full NI in the tax year 2009-10, you would be able to make another claim this year to benefit from those NICs; BUT you must leave a break of at least 12 weeks between the two claims, otherwise the linking rule would be applied and the original 2 tax years used-you would not then qualify as you will have used up your 182 days.

Simples!!!

Gandalfthegrey

Thanks,

Sorry you got a thicko here! so its every 2 tax years? with a break of 12 weeks in between?

So say if, for example, someone claimed 6 months JSA from Feb 10 - Jul 10, then started work again in Sept 10, when would they be able to claim again? (not that they would plan it! but just for example)

Thanks

Y_Me

So if I take voluntary redundancy (I have done) from my company on 1/1/11 I can claim JSA from 1/2/11 to 1/8/11 and then again from 1/12/11 to 1/6/12 Is that right?

cassieB57

Y_Me wrote: »

So if I take voluntary redundancy (I have done) from my company on 1/1/11 I can claim JSA from 1/2/11 to 1/8/11 and then again from 1/12/11 to 1/6/12 Is that right?

No because both claims would be in the same year (2011) and as they look at the TAX years immediately before the year of the claim, both claims would uese the same tax years ie 2008-9 and 2009-10. (a tax year is from april to april, a benefit year starts on the first sunday in january.) However in your example you could reclaim on the first Monday in Jan 2012,; the relevant income tax years would then be 2009-10 and 2010-11, so if you had paid enough NI in the year to April 11 then you might requalify.

(when I said "simples" I had my tongue firmly in my cheek)

cassieB57

Gandalfthegrey wrote: »

Thanks,

Sorry you got a thicko here! so its every 2 tax years? with a break of 12 weeks in between?

So say if, for example, someone claimed 6 months JSA from Feb 10 - Jul 10, then started work again in Sept 10, when would they be able to claim again? (not that they would plan it! but just for example)

Thanks

Sorry, it's me; I know what I mean I probably didnt explain it very clearly. If you claimed from Feb 10-July 10, the JSA paid would have been based on the NI you paid in the 2 tax years 07-08 and 08-09. You will have had NI credits awarded while you claimed as well. Then, if you started work in September,and became unemployed again, you would not get anything unless you claimed after the first Monday in Jan 2012 (as long as there was also a break of at least 12 weeks and 1 day between claims). Your claim would then be based on NI paid in the 2 years 09-10 and 10-11, including the credits you were due for the Feb to july claim, so it would be possible to requalify if you had enough NI.

phew