Who can get it?



To qualify for JSA, you must satisfy all of the conditions below. You must:



• be unemployed or working less than 16 hours a week on average;



• be available for work;



• have gone to a JSA interview and entered into a Jobseeker’s Agreement;



• be actively seeking employment;



• be capable of work — if you are too ill to work you should claim a sickness or disability benefit instead (see Chapter 4);



• be aged over 18, but under the State Pension Age (see Chapter 7). 



• not be in full-time education (although there are some exceptions for part-time students); and



• live in England, Scotland or Wales – there are different rules for Northern Ireland.



In addition, you must satisfy the specific eligibility conditions for either contribution or income-based JSA.