Contributions based JSA

Hi all,
I'm due to go for an appointment at the job centre tomorrow after applying online but I'm unsure if I qualify for contributions based jsa. I was employed from July 18 to Aug 19 when my contract ended. Prior to that I was a student. I checked my p60 and I've made at least 50 times the LEL according to the total. Problem is it's not two tax years. Would that be sufficient?

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  • lisyloo
    lisyloo Posts: 29,583
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    edited 11 November 2019 at 2:06AM
    Jul 18 - aug 19 is 2 tax years.
    The first is jul 18 - 5/4/19.
    The second is 6/4/19 - August 19.

    I have to say it’s not clear to me as even the gov site says 2-3 years (not tax years).
    https://www.gov.uk/jobseekers-allowance/eligibility
  • calcotti
    calcotti Posts: 15,696
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    edited 11 November 2019 at 5:20PM
    Tax years run from 6th April to 5th April. A benefit year runs from the first Sunday of the calendar year. For a contribution based benefit the NI contributions looked at are the last two complete tax years before the start of the current benefit year.

    The two tax years that are relevant for a claim made now are the tax years April 2016 - April 2017 and April 2017 to April 2018. You need to have Class 1 contributions or credits equivalent to 50 weeks in both of these years and have actually paid, or be treated as having paid, Class 1 contributions at least equivalent to 26 weeks in one of these years.

    OP, you will not qualify for new style JSA based on what you have said. Depending on your circumstances you may be able to claim Universal Credit.

    You can check your NI record by contacting HMRC https://www.gov.uk/check-national-insurance-record
    Information I post is for England unless otherwise stated. Some rules may be different in other parts of UK.
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