Months worked to qualify for JSA?

Possom

How many months would someone have to have worked (full-time) as a PAYE employee over the last 12 months in order to qualify for contribution-based JSA?

Thanks.

just_trying

2 years.

Not months years message to short.

Rubyroobs

It's two years and the tax years they would look at would be 2017-18 and 2016-17.

poppy12345

It's New Style JSA now. See link. It's between April 2016 and March 2018. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/help-if-on-a-low-income/jobseekers-allowance-jsa/before-you-claim-jsa/check-if-you-can-get-jsa/

Possom

Rubyroobs wrote: »

It's two years and the tax years they would look at would be 2017-18 and 2016-17.

Does that mean that although I've been employed full-time (PAYE) all this current 2019-20 tax year, that contributions paid since this April wouldn't count towards any entitlement to contribution-based JSA; it's only based upon the 2016-17 and tax 2017-18 years?

just_trying

Yes that's right, it's the previous 2 tax years.

calcotti

Possom wrote: »

Does that mean that although I've been employed full-time (PAYE) all this current 2019-20 tax year, that contributions paid since this April wouldn't count towards any entitlement to contribution-based JSA; it's only based upon the 2016-17 and tax 2017-18 years?

Contributions since April 2018 do not count for a claim made now.

Possom

calcotti wrote: »

Contributions since April 2018 do not count for a claim made now.

It's "interesting" that even the contributions which I made within the 2018-19 tax year (not just since April '19) as a PAYE employee do not count towards a claim made now.

Robbie64

Possom wrote: »

It's "interesting" that even the contributions which I made within the 2018-19 tax year (not just since April '19) as a PAYE employee do not count towards a claim made now.

It's because there are two periods at work when it comes to determining eligibility for contributory benefits: one is full tax years and the other is the benefit year in which the claim to e.g. JSA is made. The latter starts from the beginning of a calendar year while the former runs April to April. The rule is that in the current benefit year (for this year it started on Monday 7 January 2019 if I remember correctly) any claim to contributory (also known as new style) JSA will be based on the last two full tax years, therefore 2016/17 and 2017/18.

calcotti

It comes down to practicality. The contribution based entitlement is based on tax years. The NI record for the tax year cannot be finalised until after the end of the tax year. The last available tax year available for consideration in the 2019 benefit year is therefore the 2018-2018 tax year.