Jobseeker's Allowance Rates of Pay

There are two different types of JSA, contrbution-based and income-based.

Contribution-based JSA is awarded if you have made enough National Insurance contributions in previous tax years

JSA (Cont) is paid at two different weekly rates, depending on your age:

• for claimants under 25 the weekly rate is £51.85;
• for claimants over 25 the weekly rate is £65.45;

If you have any earnings or income from a pension then these will be deducted from the weekly rate.

To get JSA (Cont) you will need to show that you have;

• paid Class 1 national insurance contributions on earnings 25 times the lower earnings limit in either one of the 2 complete tax years before the start of the benefit year in which you make your claim; and
• paid or been credited with Class 1 contributions on earnings of 50 times the lower earnings limit in each of the 2 complete tax years before the start of the benefit year in which you make your claim.

To make matters more complex, a "benefit year" runs from the first Sunday in January until the Saturday before the first Sunday in January whereas a tax year runs from April 6th to April 5th. So, for example, a claim made in March 2009 would count 2006-7 and 2007-8 as the last two complete tax years.

The lower earnings limit marks the minimum weekly income at which you start making national insurance contributions. Set out below are the recent limits:

• 2005-06= £82;
• 2006-07= £84;
• 2007-08= £87;
• 2008-09= £90;
• 2009-10= £95;
• 2010-11= 397:

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