Can You Apply for Job Seekers’ Allowance as a Student?

Job seekers‘ allowances are paid by the government of the United Kingdom and there are conditions to be able to get one, can a student apply for job seekers’ allowance?

No, as long as you are a full-time student, you can not get Jobseekers allowance, However, jobseekers’ allowance can be offered to students above 18 who have been out of school for at least 3 months without work and lone parents.

Can You Apply for Job Seekers' Allowance as a Student?

How Jobseekers’ Allowances Work?

There are two types of Jobseekers Allowances, but firstly, what does this mean?

Jobseekers Allowances are incentives, given as an aid or assistance to people who are unemployed and are searching for jobs. The following Jobseekers Allowances are given based on the amount of National Insurance paid.

  1. Income-based Jobseekers Allowance.
  1. The Contribution-based Jobseekers Allowance.

Income-based Jobseekers Allowance

This Jobseekers Allowance is given to low or no income earners, who have not met the pay for National Insurance at a considerably high rate.

An awardee of this incentive can be offered up to €74.35 weekly.

Contribution-based Jobseekers Allowance/ New Style Jobseekers Allowance

This Allowance is for employees who in at least two years have paid a considerably high National Insurance, it is offered for a minimum of 6 months.

However, in the case of an extra job income or pension during the period of the 6 months, the rate of incentive originally given to the awardee of the Jobseekers Allowance could be short.

The incentive given to the awardee is up to €74.35 every week.

Who Is Considered Eligible For a Jobseekers Allowance?

To be considered is one thing but to be awarded is a different case,

 To be considered eligible, one must meet the following

  • Ages 18-66
  • An unemployed person or someone who works less than 16 hours a week.
  • Searching and ready for full-time work.
  • Should meet the residential condition of the organization.

Other conditions are to be met such as the “means test,” an individual would have to pass the test to be eligible for the allowance. This test estimates the income, investments, and any property owned by the individual, for people in an intimate relationship such as marriage or couples living together, their spouse’s incomes are added, if the estimate of all the above is quite low, then the person may be eligible for a Jobseekers Allowance.

For the employed who work less than 16 hours a week, they could get the allowance to cover the hours of the week in which they do not work, this is given as long as the person is constantly looking for full-time work.

It should be noted that the pay can be altered due to various circumstances, like getting a part-time job, the individual in question may as well apply for another form of incentive called “Part-time Job Incentive Scheme”

Jobseekers Allowance Annulment

Jobseekers Allowance can be deprived of people who:

  • Were dismissed from work for the reason of improper behavior and misconduct.
  • Willingly stopped work for no plausible cause.
  • Due to incentives received from the government through Jobseekers, Allowance refused an offer for a proper Job opening.

Individuals that fall in the above categories could be dismissed from getting the incentives for 8 weeks or more. 

What Is Jobseekers Benefit?

Jobseekers Benefit is also an incentive given based on Pay-Related Social Insurance (PRSI), it could be from 6 to 9 months.

PRSI is the amount of money paid by the size of average earnings and work type.

There are, however, conditions to be met considering the PRSI before a Jobseekers Benefit may be granted.

The applicant must have paid no less than 104 weeks of P PRSI, Class A or H, or no less than 156 Class S PRSI. It is also requested that in the tax year of the topic ( the tax year of the topic is the last second tax year before the person was laid from work in which he claimed Jobseekers Benefit), 39 weeks of P PRSI, Class A, or H were paid or that in the tax year of the topic, 26 weeks of P PRSI, Class A or H are paid and that there is also 26 weeks payment of PRSI for the tax year immediately preceding the tax year of the topic.

To be eligible for this incentive, one must have been laid off in a matter of at least 7 consecutive days.

What Is the Difference Between Universal Credit and Jobseekers Allowance?

University credit is a monthly social security payment to enable low-income earners, the unemployed, and even those who are working to cater to their needs and expenses.

Universal Credit is non-contribution-based, so here, National Insurance is not required.

Universal Credit consists of a standard allowance and extra payment.

Extra payment may be granted to individuals who:

  • Are sick or disabled, or those who are taking care of a disabled person.
  • Have kids to look after.
  • Cannot handle their housing costs.

The Universal Credit for workers diminishes with an increase in their income and may increase if they lose their job.

Who Is Eligible For Universal Credit?

Universal Credit may be granted to employed and unemployed people.

You may be eligible for Universal Credit if:

  • Your income reduces.
  • You are unemployed.
  • You are caring for a child or a disabled.
  • The cost of living becomes difficult.
  • You cannot work because of an illness or a disability.

Universal Credit is usually given to people 18 years and above, but in some cases, 16 and 17-year-olds are considered.

Conclusion

Students are not entitled to Jobseekers Allowance unless however, the person is a single parent. A student who perhaps puts a hold on their study for a while may be able to receive the allowance.

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Can I claim Jobseekers Allowance with savings?

Yes, a person may receive Jobseekers Allowance with savings, just that the amount of savings you have would affect the money you get.

  1. What is the difference between Jobseekers Allowance and Jobseekers Benefit?

Jobseekers Benefit is based on the person’s PRSI while Jobseekers Allowance is for unemployed people who are capable of getting jobs.

  1. How long does it take to receive Jobseekers Allowance?

It should take about two weeks to get paid your allowance after you have applied and been selected to receive it.