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Jobseeker’s Allowance
Your responsibilities
Please keep this booklet and bring it with you 
every time you come to the Jobcentre.
Your responsibilities
Page 2
Looking for work
Page 3
Attending the Jobcentre
Page 4
Changes you must tell us about
Page 5
About your benefit
Page 6
Stopping your claim
Page 7
While you’re getting Jobseeker’s Allowance
If you need to ask anything about your 
Jobseeker’s Allowance, or tell us that your 
circumstances have changed, please call us
on this phone number:
Call charges - As at September 2013, calls to 0845 
numbers from BT land lines should cost no more 
than 4p a minute with a 15p call set-up charge. 
You may have to pay more if you use another 
phone company, or a mobile phone. Calls from 
mobile phones can cost up to 40p a minute, so 
check the cost of calls with your service provider.
ES40JP  10/13
Issue date
/       /

Your responsibilities 
There are certain things you must do to keep getting 
Jobseeker’s Allowance. 
Here is a summary:
You will no longer receive benefit and your claim for
Jobseeker’s Allowance will end if it is decided that you are not:
•  available for work, or
•  actively seeking work.
If you make a new claim within 13 weeks of such a failure,
you may not get paid benefit for up to 4 weeks. If there has
been more than one such failure in the last 52 weeks, you
may not be paid benefit for up to 13 weeks.
You will lose your benefit for up to 13 weeks, 26 weeks or 156
weeks (3 years), if you:
•  leave a job voluntarily, without good reason
•  lose your job because of misconduct
•  fail to take part in the mandatory work activity programme,
  without good reason
•  fail to take on a suitable employment opportunity, without
  good reason, or
•  refuse or fail to apply for or accept a job which your Adviser
  has notified to you, without good reason.
You will lose your benefit for 4 weeks or 13 weeks, if you:
•  fail to attend an interview with your Adviser, without good
 reason
•  fail to comply with a Jobseeker’s Direction, without good
 reason
•  fail to take part in a particular employment programme
  that you have been referred to, without good reason
•  do not take the opportunity of a place on an employment
  programme or training scheme, without good reason
2

•  refuse or fail to apply for, or accept, a place on such a
  programme or scheme notified to you by your Adviser,
  without good reason
•  fail to attend or give up a place on such a programme or
  scheme, without good reason, or
•  through your own misconduct, lose a place on such a
  programme or scheme.
The number of weeks your Jobseeker’s Allowance payments
will be stopped for will depend on how many times you have
not met your requirements in the previous 12 months.
If we make a decision about your benefit 
If there is a disagreement about your Jobseeker's Agreement,
you can ask for this to be reviewed.  If there is any dispute about
your benefit, your case may be sent to a decision maker, which
could result in the loss of your Jobseeker's Allowance. If this 
happens you will be told. If you are not satisfied with the decision
you can ask for it to be explained or reconsidered. If you are still
unhappy with the outcome you have the right to appeal.
Universal Jobmatch
Find a job using the Universal Jobmatch service and match your
CV and skills to jobs posted by companies. To access Universal
Jobmatch, visit www.gov.uk/jobsearch
Other ways to look for work
You can also search for jobs by calling Jobcentre Plus on
0845 606 0234 Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm to find out what
jobs are available.
There is a textphone service for people who find it hard 
to speak or hear clearly on 0845 605 5255. Textphones 
do not accept text messages from mobile phones.
3

Attending the Jobcentre
Remember - to get Jobseeker’s Allowance you must come
to the Jobcentre each time we tell you to. When you attend
you will need to show what you have done to find work.
You should keep a record of what you have done to look
for work, and bring it with you each time you come to 
the Jobcentre.
We will ask you to sign declarations that you:
•  are available for employment
•  are actively seeking employment
•  have told us about any changes in your circumstances,
    and
•  have reported anything which may affect your claim.
The back of this booklet tells you when and where to 
attend to sign your declarations or, if you are a postal
claimant, when to sign and return your declarations.
Please bring this booklet with you every time you come to
see us. If you don’t, you may be delayed while an adviser 
confirms your details.

You can look for work, find benefit information and make a 
claim without having to phone or visit the Jobcentre. Visit 
www.gov.uk to find out more.
4

Changes you must tell us about 
You must tell us immediately if your circumstances
change, for example if you or your partner:
•  do any paid, unpaid or voluntary work
•  get a job or become self employed
•  start living with someone, get married, form or dissolve
    a civil partnership, or separate
•  get a place on a training programme or start full or part
    time education
•  get a personal pension or a pension from a previous
    employer
•  change your address or are going away from home,
    even if it is for a day
•  are involved in a trade dispute
•  change your account for your benefit payments
•  are ill or have to take care of someone or cannot take a
    job for any other reason
•  have a child that leaves school
•  have someone come to live in your house or someone
    who was living in your house leaves, or
•  change the amount of savings you have.
If the person you are claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance for
gets a job or goes into hospital or a nursing home,
you must tell us immediately.
Help - if you are not sure whether a change may affect
your benefit, contact us using the phone number on the
front of this booklet.
5

About your benefit
How is Jobseeker’s Allowance paid?
Jobseeker’s Allowance is usually paid fortnightly in arrears by 
direct payment into a bank, building society or Post Office 
account. 
Your first payment may take a little longer whilst your claim is 
being assessed.
Important -  you must tell us immediately if you change 
your account. 

Tax
Jobseeker’s Allowance is taken into account for tax purposes 
but we do not deduct tax from your payments.
Any tax refund due to you will be paid when you stop claiming 
Jobseeker’s Allowance or at the end of the tax year, whichever 
comes first.
National Insurance contributions
Unless you are told otherwise, National Insurance contributions 
will be credited to you while you continue to satisfy the 
Jobseeker’s Allowance entitlement conditions.
6

Stopping your claim
When you wish to stop your claim to Jobseeker’s Allowance,
you need to tell us about it. We will then send you any 
outstanding Jobseeker’s Allowance and tax refund that you 
may be entitled to, and your P45. 
•  If you are starting work, go to part 1
•  If you are starting full-time training, go to part 2
•  If you are stopping your claim for any other reason, 
 go 
to 
part 3
Part 1  Starting work
Important 
If you are starting work of less than 16 hours a week (or 
less than 24 hours a week if you are part of a joint claim), 
please call the phone number on the front of this booklet.
If you have started work of 16 hours or more a week (or
24 hours or more a week if you are part of a joint claim), 
call us on:
If you have been claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance as part of
a joint claim, and you start work of 24 hours a week or 
more, your partner may still be able to claim. Ask your
Jobcentre for advice.
If you are unable to phone us for any reason you can tell us 
your employment details on the next page and hand this 
booklet in at your Jobcentre.
7

Part 1  Starting work
I am starting work on:
Day:                                                   Date:
Do you expect your job to last
Yes                No
5 weeks or longer?
My job title is:
The name and address of my employer is:
Postcode
Telephone
Did you find your job through
Yes                No
a private recruitment agency?
The agency’s name and address is:
Postcode
Telephone
Please note that we may contact your employer or agency to
confirm the date you started work.
Important - now go to Part 4.
8

Part 2  Starting full-time training
Important - tell us before filling in this booklet if you are
starting part-time training.
I am starting full-time training on:
Day:                                                   Date:
The course was arranged by (Please state which Jobcentre):
If you have been claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance as part of
a joint claim, and you start full-time training, your partner
may still be able to claim. Ask your Jobcentre for advice.
Important - now go to Part 4.
Part 3  Any other reason
If you are stopping your claim for any other reason,
please explain below:
Important - now go to Part 4.
9

Part 4  Declaration
I want the last day of my claim to Jobseeker's Allowance
to be: 

Day:                                                   Date:
Please read this carefully before signing the declaration
I declare that 
since I made my claim or last provided a 
signed declaration (if later), unless I have told you 
otherwise:
•  there has been no change in circumstances which might
  affect the award of Jobseeker's Allowance, or the 
 amount 
payable
•  I have been available for employment, or have satisfied 
  the rules for being treated as available for 
 employment*, 
and
•  I have been actively seeking employment to the extent 
  necessary to give me the best prospects of securing 
  employment, or have satisfied the rules to be treated as
  available for employment.
I also declare that since I made my claim or last provided
a signed declaration (if later):
•  I have done no work, paid or unpaid, unless I have told
 you 
otherwise
•  I have reported any changes in the circumstances of my
  dependants, if I claim Jobseeker's Allowance for them, 
 and
•  the information I have given is correct and complete.
10

Part 4  Declaration
If my declarations include a period in advance:
•  I have no offer of work for the advance period 
•  I will continue to seek and accept any offer of work*, and
•  I will tell the Jobcentre at once if I get work in the advance
    period, or about any change I am required to report.
* A member of a joint claim couple who is excused from being
  required to be available for employment and to actively seek
  employment does not have to make a declaration to this effect.
I understand that if I knowingly give information that is
incorrect or incomplete, I may be liable to prosecution and 
other action.
Signed:
Date:   
Now please return this booklet to your Jobcentre.
Please do not write below this line.  For Jobcentre use only
LMS updated
Initials                 Date
JSAPS updated         Initials                 Date
Signature checked
Initials                 Date
11

Attendance arrangements
Please bring this booklet every time you come to see us
Attendance point
Cycle
Title          Surname
Initials
National Insurance
Number
Your personal adviser is:
Please attend to sign your declarations (if you are a postal 
claimant, complete, sign and return your declarations) on:
Date                                                       Time
And again on:
Date                                                       Time
Then every week / every second week on:
Day                                                         Time
Please attend at this address:
If you cannot attend at the time and on the days shown:
•  you may lose your Jobseeker’s Allowance, or
•  any payment due may be delayed.
Contact us immediately on 0845 604 3719 if you cannot
attend.


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