4.0 Eligibility for Jobseeker’s Allowance
4.1 To receive Jobseeker’s Allowance a claimant must:
• Be willing and able to take up immediately any paid employment (of 40 hours a
week)
• Be Actively seeking work; and
• Sign a "Jobseeker’s Agreement". This 'Agreement' sets out, among other things,
agreed restrictions on the claimants availability for work, the type of work they
undertake to seek and the steps they will take to secure it. Until it is finalised no
benefit will be paid.
• Furthermore, a Jobseeker’s Agreement may be supplemented by a Jobseeker's
Direction which compels the claimant to take action to improve their prospects of
securing employment.
5.0 Disqualification from Jobseeker’s Allowance
5.1 A claimant may be disqualified from JSA if they:
(i) Do not make a Jobseeker’s Agreement
(ii) Fail to carry out a Jobseeker’s Direction or to take advantage of a reasonable
opportunity to join a training scheme. Disqualification will be for 2 weeks and
for 4 weeks for subsequent failures within the same year.
(iii) Are deemed not to be actively seeking work. Claimants who have "acted
abusively or violently" or who have deliberately undermined their chances of
securing work by their manner or appearance will not be considered to be
actively seeking work.
(iv) Lose employment through misconduct, voluntarily leave a job without just
cause or fail to take advantage of a reasonable job opportunity.
Disqualification may last between I and 26 weeks.