CLAIMING JSA ONLINE: You must live in a ‘Universal Credit full service‘ area to claim the ‘new style’ JSA online.
If not, you will need to claim Jobseeker’s Allowance by telephone instead.
Note: Some claimants will have to claim Universal Credit instead of JSA. You can check whether you meet Jobseeker’s Allowance eligibility criteria before applying.
GOV.UK website has a secure service for claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance online. You can use it to start a new application or return to a saved application.
Other Ways to Claim the New Style JSA
If you are already claiming Universal Credit, and you live outside a ‘full service’ area, you can call:
Telephone:0800 328 9344
Textphone:0800 328 1344
Monday to Friday: 8am to 6pm
After Making a Claim for JSA
Once you make a claim for job seekers allowance you will receive a text message or a phone call within two (2) working days. The purpose it to arrange your JSA interview at the office of your local Jobcentre Plus.
Note: Failing to attend the interview with a work coach means you will not get the Jobseekers Allowance.
Claiming JSA with Your Partner (joint claim)
You will need to make a joint claim with your partner if neither one of you are responsible for looking after a child. Your local Jobcentre Plus office will give you more information on how to make a joint claim for JSA.
How to Reclaim JSA (rapid reclaim)
In some cases, you can make a quicker claim for JSA online. It applies to claimants who already had JSA in the last 26 weeks. You will need to start the online application over again and the process should take around twenty (20) minutes.
Note: You will still need to attend an interview at a Jobcentre Plus office to get the JSA benefit.
What if You cannot Apply Online?
Note: You will need to contact the nearest Jobcentre Plus office if you are unable to claim for job seekers online.
Reclaiming New Style JSA
In most cases, you can start reclaiming the new style JSA if you stopped getting it providing:
- At the time, you were living in a full service area when Universal Credit ended (for any reason). In this case, it would not matter where you have been living since.
- You are living outside a full service area and Universal Credit ended in the past 6 months due to your earnings. That is also providing you are now claiming it once more.
You can reclaim online if you are living in a Universal Credit ‘full service’ area. If you already get Universal Credit and live anywhere else, you can call:
Telephone:0800 328 9344
Textphone:0800 328 1344
Monday to Friday: 8am to 6pm
Check call charges to 0800 numbers
Share Fishermen or Volunteer Development Worker
Share fisherman or volunteer development workers claiming JSA in January must follow guidance on making Class 2 NI payments. It may delay your claim for JSA if you fail to do so.
Disagreeing with a JSA Decision
There is a set process to follow if you disagree with a JSA decision. As a rule, you must now ask for a mandatory reconsideration before making any appeal.
Making a Complaint about Jobcentre Plus
You can also complain about the service you get from any of the Department for Work and Pensions organisations. Follow the set procedures to complain about Jobcentre Plus services.