Benefits Question - new style job seeker’s allowance

[OttilieKnackered]

Hello,

Sorry if this is a stupid question. My partner has just been made redundant after being on furlough since March. He is applying for every job out there but in the meantime he applied for the new style JSA and has been turned down.

The guidance says (ambiguously I think) that to qualify you need to have paid NI ‘in the last 2-3 years.’ He worked in that job from Nov 2018 to September 2020 (when he was made redundant). I read the guidance as meaning ‘at any time within the last 2-3 years’, but this suggests it has to have been for 2-3 years without a break.

Is this right? It seems very unfair if so.

If this is so, does anyone know the threshold under which I need to earn for him to claim anything via UC?

Thanks in advance if you can help.

In needs to be in the last 2 “benefit years” prior to his claim. For a claim made in March 20 those years will be 17/18 and 18/19. And in those years he needs to have worked for a minimum number of weeks and paid a minimum amount of NI. Sorry I can’t remember the thresholds off the top of my head.

Thank you.

Hopeful bump for any other views.

Give the benefit helpline a call and ask them to check the calculation. A lot of people were drafted in from other roles to deal with JSA claims when the pandemic hit, and there might be a chance someone made a mistake.

Yes, it’s not any time in the last 2 years, it’s the last two benefit years - he needs to have made at least the minimum NI contributions in those. If he hasn’t done that, I think he can claim Universal Credit instead, but that would take your income into account.

You can check your National Insurance contributions using your National Insurance number via www.gov.uk
It will show you the exact amount that you have paid in, per year

Has he actually put in a claim for Universal credit, you apply via www.gov.uk
Look under how to apply, fill out the form

As others have said it will be 2018-19 and 2017-18 tax years they will be looking at for NI contributions. Even if awarded, it would only last for 6 months.
Eligibility for Uc will depend on a number of factors so there is no set threshold it depends on individual circumstances such as joint savings, whether you pay rent, number of children, disabilities etc.

Maybe out of date but a few years ago the requirement was to have paid NI for 50 out of 52 weeks in both of the previous two full tax years.

Thanks all!