New Style JSA (contribution based) - Timescales and Notice for Appointment / Interview

Tunstallstoven

Hi,

I've recently been made redundant so have submitted a claim an online for New Style JSA (contribution based).  I had confirmation of my application and a few basic bits of info.  They also said they "usually" contact you "within" 14 days about the appointment.  

Does anyone know when I could expect to hear about the first appointment?  Also, are there any guidelines/ regulations about how much notice they give of the first appointment? 

I've also read that signing days are determined by NI No - is this correct and if so, does anyone have anymore details about this? 

Many thanks 

singhini

When i claimed nJSA a few months ago i got text and email messages instantly saying i had submitted my claim (just like you mention).
Then roughly 8 days later i got some more text and emails confirming my appointment at the Job Centre (the appointment was exactly 15 days from the day of my online claim). 
The appointment is roughly 1 hour and they will fill in a document with you (its called your "Claim Commitment" - its what you agree to do to look for work).

Sign-On Days are determined by the last two digits of your National Insurance (NI) number:-

If your NI number ends in 00-19, your signing-on day is Monday. 

If your NI number ends in 20-39, your signing-on day is Tuesday. 

If your NI number ends in 40-59, your signing-on day is Wednesday. 

If your NI number ends in 60-79, your signing-on day is Thursday. 

If your NI number ends in 80-99, your signing-on day is Friday. 


PS - in the event you remain unemployed for 26 weeks and your claim ends (i.e. they cant pay you because your entitlement based on class 1 NI contributions runs out),  and you have savings over £16,000 you will not be moved onto Universal Credit. However your can ask for form JSANC1 and claim just NI Credits. If you do this i.e. claim just NI Credits just remember that after 26 weeks of claiming this you might be able to make another claim for nJSA 
So thats 26 weeks on nJSA, then 26 weeks on NI-Credits Only, then back on nJSA 
As background reading you may want to look up something called “Decision Makers Guides (DMG) Chapter 21 Jobseekers Allowance – Labour market questions, Special Conditions for JSA (Cont) job seeking periods” and look up section 21090 and 21091 which discuss claiming more than one period of entitlement to JSA

Lastly, you may want to look at something called "Free Courses for Jobs" (The government might pay the course fees for you to take a course that helps you learn new skills or apply for work, depending on your circumstances).
https://www.skillsforcareers.education.gov.uk/your-training-options?utm_medium=Search&utm_source=PaidSearch&utm_campaign=SfL&utm_term=ATOnew&utm_content=2425&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw16O_BhDNARIsAC3i2GCFG8_tzLNHi01ZYrgvaCXdO_RKJ_a4Mvd69UjNWV1dbGqWwgboyKkaAqzuEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Good luck!

huckster

Jobs market is very competitive at the moment with large numbers of job seekers chasing a smaller number of vacancies than in previous years for this time of year.

Advice is to apply for as many jobs as you can, ensuring timely and tailored applications. And speak to at least 6 recruitment agencies in your area about all types of work you can do. Better to take temporary or contract work, than claim benefits for longer than necessary while seeking permanent employment.  There is a basic statistic which is that you stand double the chance of being offered a job, if you are currently working. Which is why it is better to take up temporary work while you are applying for permanent employment.

For New Style JSA what is stated above is when they release payment of benefit each fortnight and the payment is received 3 working days later.  The Job Centre might not arrange appointments to coincide with the signing on day and they could be held on other days. As singing on days relates to what was the case with old JSA in the past.

Tunstallstoven

Thank you both very much for the help and advice.  I've still not heard anything yet, aside from those initial contacts.  Hopefully they'll get in touch soon. When they do, is there a minimum amount of notice they must give? 

The main reason I keep asking is because I have organised visiting my family from this Saturday (5th April) until Wednesday next week (9th April) and I'm concerned my appointment will fall onto a day while I'm away.  I don't know whether to cancel or not, or what would happen if I was away.  I'm going by train, and I bought my ticket while I was still employed and unaware of the redundancy.  Does anyone know how they deal with "trips" and/or "holidays" that were already booked before the redundancy and nJSA claim?  

Many thanks

singhini

Im not sure of any "minimum" amount of notice, but from my most recent experience in August 2024 it was a week i.e. my claim was made 1st August, then 8th August they contacted me gain and their email said my appointment was going to be on the 15th August.

So, for me i went online and submitted my claim on a Thursday, then the following Thursday i got an email saying my initial appointment was going to be on the following Thursday (maybe that's pure coincidence they were all Thursdays, i don't know?)


When they do get in touch with you, i would just call them if there is a clash with you being away/holiday (there quite good and understanding. I would just be honest and say that it was all booked and paid for prior to the redundancy and your committed to attending a family function along with your wife and kids. 

When you do have your appointment you will need to take some ID (passport, driving licence, council tax bill etc....).
Here's a link with basic info https://www.gov.uk/jobseekers-allowance/your-jsa-interview

singhini

This is what a claim commitment form looks like (ive deleted sensitive information and also ignore the money values as there now out of date).
Its a very basic form that simply says you will look for work each day and spend roughly 8 hours a day looking i.e. 35 hours a week (and if you don't the job centre will dock your money by £12.80 a day). 
You fill it in on your first appointment and its never looked at again.

singhini

Hope this helps

Spoonie_Turtle

(As an aside, interesting to see they're still using pretty much the same kind of documents as they were ~15 years ago, just digitised!)

Tunstallstoven

Thank you so much for taking the time to upload those pics - very helpful indeed.  

An update - got an email from them today but it's a "We’ve started to process your New Style Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) application..." and goes on to say what happens if I'm eligible or not eligible.  No dates or anything.  Was surprised.  When I first saw it ping into my inbox I really thought it would have my appointment date.  So still not totally confident or sure whether I should still do the family visit or not!  

In other news...  Obviously I don't have ‘Claimant Commitment’ yet.  With that in mind, what level of job seeking will they have expected me to be doing while the claim is processed?  The full 35 hours/wk?  Or is there really no strict requirement/expectation until the commitment has been made and agreed upon?  

singhini

"They" will expect you to commit to looking for work 8 hours a day, 5 days a week (they have to be seen to be doing their job which has been legislated by government). So 35 hours a week WILL be expected to go on the form (what you do behind closed doors is another thing but in all honestly you don't want to be going back in and out of the job centre every 2 weeks having to explain what you did in terms of looking for work and having to prove it i.e. emails sent, phone log of call made etc....
Its easier and more beneficial to get back into work ASAP.

If you look closely at the first page there is a section "permitted period agreed" (this was the first 3 months of my claim and i was allowed to look specifically for jobs in my industry i.e. pharmaceuticals. After this 3 month grace period i was expected to be applying for all types of jobs. If you have worked in a specialist area you might want to ask for this initial 3 month permitted period to try to get back into work in your current field of work.

Lastly some job coach's are "hard ballers" and other are more relaxed. i always cracked jokes with them.

Tunstallstoven

Thanks that's really helpful - yet again   Much appreciated, thank you.

Sorry though, I should have been clearer on the one point...  I meant does the 35 hours/wk requirement exist even now; before the claim has even been approved and before my first appointment?  IOWs, when I go to my first appointment will they want to see proof that I've been spending 35 hours/wk job searching etc.?  

Ta