Jobseeker’s directions and sanctions



Changes to the rules about the conditions you have to meet in order to remain entitled to JSA and the penalties that can be imposed if you do not meet those conditions have been introduced in preparation for UC (see Chapter 1):



If you are claiming JSA, you may have a sanction applied in a number of circumstances. You might be sanctioned if you:



• don’t accept or keep to your Claimant Commitment;



• don’t go to a Jobcentre Plus when asked;



• turn down a job or training course;



• don’t apply for any jobs you’re told about;



• don’t take part in any interviews you’re invited to;



• don’t go to any training booked for you or take part in employment schemes; or



• leave your last job or training without good reason or because of your behaviour. 



There are three levels of sanctions which last for set periods of time depending on what you may have failed to do.



If you are single, the amount of a sanction will be 100% of your JSA for the period for which the sanction applies.



If you are part of a joint claim couple and you have both failed to comply, the sanction will be 100% of your couple rate of JSA.



If you are part of a couple but only one of you has failed to comply, then the sanction will reduce the couple rate of JSA to the single person rate (so the member of the couple who has not failed to comply will receive their appropriate personal rate). 



Lower level



The lower level of sanction applies if you fail to comply with requirements that will improve your chances of finding or preparing for work. This includes:



• losing a place on a training scheme through misconduct;



• failing to attend or giving up a place on a training scheme;



• failing to go to meetings on time with your work coach or take part in interviews; or



• failing to do what your work coach tells you to do to find work such as attend a training course or update your CV.



A lower level sanction will lead to you losing JSA for a fixed period of four weeks for the first failure, followed by 13 weeks for subsequent failures (within 52 weeks of the last failure).



Intermediate level



There is also an intermediate level of sanction, which will apply if you reclaim JSA after a previous JSA award has been disallowed, following a finding that you (or your joint-claim partner) are not available for work or not actively seeking work. If you make another claim for JSA, it will only be allowed once you show that you (or your joint-claim partner) are now available for and actively seeking work. However, an intermediate sanction may still be applied to your new JSA claim after a disallowance.



The sanction will be four weeks for a first failure, rising to 13 weeks for a second or subsequent failures (within 52 weeks of the last failure). The sanction will be applied following the period of disallowance for not actively seeking employment or not being available for work.



Higher level



A higher-level sanction, for example for leaving a job voluntarily, or through misconduct, or failing to take up a job or mandatory work activity, will lead to you losing all your JSA for a fixed period of:



• 13 weeks for a first failure;



• 26 weeks for a second failure;



• 56 weeks for a third and subsequent failure (within 52 weeks of the last failure).