job seekers allowance

harvestmoon

hi - went to the job centre yesterday - got a few print outs but would like to know if i'm entitled to jsa whilst i'm looking and waiting.
just finished my 2nd year of a 4 year degree. are we allowed to claim?

Blacksheep1979

nope - not allowed to claim whilst a student.

gulife

It depends. I think the guidelines state that you can't claim if you have been in full time education in the past 6/8 weeks... I have most certainly claimed in the past, as my course takes a hiatus for 5 months during may-september, and have always been able to claim after 8 weeks.

Broke_Student

You apply for a claim now.
If after a period (someone said 8 weeks) you are out of work I believe they backdate payments.
If you are back into education after the summer then you don't get anything.
This sorts out the problem of students trying to claim over the summer.

dmg24

Blacksheep is right, you CANNOT claim for JSA during the summer break, unless you have dependents, or other special circumstances.

You may however claim for JSA from the date of leaving university, if it was your final year (i.e. you are no longer a student). This is also applicable if you are changing courses, for instance between an undergraduate course and postgraduate study.

I have double checked this information on the CAB website.

gulife, I note that you are at a Scottish university. I don't know, but this could be why your circumstances are different.

dmg24

Just double checked in the DWP Decision Makers Guide:

The period of study continues throughout all vacations within the course.

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/publications/dwp/dmg/