Home › Rules › Employment › Benefits › Jobseekers › Allowance › JSA Interview
JSA Interview Process and Documents

A required part of an application for job seekers benefit is attending the JSA interview process. You must go to the meeting otherwise you will not get the allowance payment.

JSA INTERVIEW: After applying for JSA you need to attend an interview at Jobcentre Plus. Take all these documents with you to the meeting:

  • Your P45 certificate (if you have it).
  • One (1) of the primary identity documents.
  • Two (2) of the secondary identity documents.

JSA Primary Identity Documents

You only need to take one primary identity document along when you get interviewed at the Job Centre. Typical examples include:

Secondary Identity Documents for Jobseekers Allowance

You must use two separate pieces of secondary identity documentation. One of them should prove your address and the other document should prove your date of birth. Proof of address can be your:

  • Birth certificate
  • Marriage certificate
  • NHS medical card

Documents used as proof of date of birth can include your:

  • Bank statement
  • Council tax bill
  • Utility bill (e.g. gas, electric, or water)

Note: They may need other documents, based on the information you provide, for a decision on your claim. You can take another person for support with you to the job seekers interview.

Extra Support at a JSA Interview

You can get extra support if you need it due to a disability or a health condition. If so, contact the Jobcentre Plus office before you attend the meeting. For example, they can help if you need a sign language interpreter because of deafness.

JSA Claimant Commitment

They will ask you to sign a JSA ‘Claimant Commitment‘ at your interview. It is an agreement about the steps you must take to look for a work and an essential part of the Jobseeker’s Allowance benefit.

The details in your Claimant Commitment get agreed between you and your work coach. The information usually includes:

  • What activity you need to carry out while looking for work (e.g. writing a CV or registering with recruitment agencies).
  • The number of weekly hours you must spend looking for work.

The agreement made between you and the work coach will take certain things into consideration, such as:

  • Your general health and what responsibilities you have at home.
  • How much help you might need to get a job or increase your earnings.

Note: You must carry out the terms agreed to in your Claimant Commitment. Your JSA can get stopped if you do not have a valid reason for failing to do so.

JSA Interview Process and Documentation Requirements in the United Kingdom