Jobseeker's Allowance and being available for work

In order to obtain JSA, you must be able to show that you are available immediately to take up any employment for at least 40 hours per week.

You will not be regarded as being available to work (and therefore not eligible for JSA) if you:

• recieve maternity allowance or maternity pay; or
• are on paternity or adoption leave; or
• are a full-time student during the period of study; or
• are a prisoner on temporary release.

For a period of between 1 and 13 weeks you may specify that you will only accept work in your "usual occupation" and at a level of pay that you have been getting prior to becoming unemployed.

You are also able to further restrict your availability for employment if you can show that:

• the employment would conflict with a "sincerely held" religious belief or conscientious objection; or
• the nature of a particular job would aggravate or exacerbate your physical or mental condition.

If you are a carer you can restrict the number of hours to at least 16 hours per week providing you can show that you still have a reasonable chance of finding work with this restriction in place.

For the first six months of your claim you are able to restrict to limit your availability for work by restricting the rate of pay for which you are prepared to work. After the first six months you must accept work that pays anything above the national minimum wage.

---

Exceptions to being available for work

You will still be treated as being available for work if you are:

• a full-time student on an employment-related course and the placement has been approved in advance by an employment officer. This should be for a maximimum of two weeks in any twelve month period;
• attending a residential work camp for a maximimum of two weeks in any twelve month period;
• participating in a Venture Trust programme for a maximum of four weeks in any twelve month period;
• absent from Great Britain for a maximum of one week because you are attending a job interview. You must have given written notice of this absence to an employment officer;
• temporarily looking after a child full-time because the usual carer is unable to do so. This be can be for up to eight weeks;
• following an Open University course and attending (as a requirement of that course) a residential course for a maximum of one week per course.
• working as a part-time firefighter or invovled in the launching or manning of a lifeboat or "engaged during an emergency in duties for the benefit of others";
• released from prison, remand centre or youth custody institution. This is for one week from the date of your release.
• temporarily absent from Great Britain because you are taking your child abroad for treatment. This is for a maximum of eight weeks.

---