Lost Your Job? What You Can Claim in Northern Ireland

Who this guide is for

People in Northern Ireland who have lost their job, or are about to, and want to know what they can claim: New Style Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA), Universal Credit and statutory redundancy pay.

What this guide does not cover

• Living in England, Wales or Scotland: see the Great Britain guide.
• Whether your dismissal or redundancy was fair: see our employee rights guide. Tribunal time limits in detail: see our tribunal deadline guide.
• Redundancy pay when your employer is insolvent: see our employer insolvency guide. Appealing a benefit decision: see our Universal Credit appeals guide. Benefits for illness, disability, caring or children: see our benefits guide.
• The weekly New Style JSA rate, the Universal Credit amounts and savings limits in Northern Ireland, and sanctions. This guide does not set these out: check nidirect or ask Advice NI.

What the rules depend on

1. Have you worked as an employee and paid enough Class 1 National Insurance, usually in the last two relevant tax years? Yes: you may get New Style JSA. No: you may still get Universal Credit.
2. Are you working 16 or more hours a week on average, or too ill to work? Either one rules out New Style JSA.
3. Were you an employee with at least 2 years of service? That decides statutory redundancy pay.

New Style Jobseeker's Allowance

To get New Style JSA you must have worked as an employee and paid enough Class 1 National Insurance contributions, usually within the last two relevant tax years. National Insurance credits may also count.

You must be unemployed or work less than 16 hours a week on average, not have an illness or disability which stops you from working, and live in Northern Ireland.

Your savings and your partner's income and savings will not affect how much New Style JSA you are paid. An occupational pension or part-time earnings may reduce it.

You can get New Style JSA for up to 182 days. While you get it, you must take reasonable steps to look for work as agreed with your work coach. You also get Class 1 National Insurance credits.

You can no longer apply for income-based JSA.

Claim online on nidirect. If you cannot claim online, contact the Department for Communities New Style Jobseeker's Allowance Processing Centre on 0800 022 4250.

If you want your claim backdated, you must give the date you want it to start from and the reason your claim was delayed. It may not be backdated without a good reason.

Universal Credit

You can claim Universal Credit on its own or at the same time as New Style JSA. If you get both, your New Style JSA is deducted from your Universal Credit payment, so you may not get any extra money.

In Northern Ireland, Universal Credit is normally paid to a household twice a month. You can ask for it to be paid monthly instead. Your first payment comes about five weeks after you claim.

If you get money for housing costs, it is paid direct to your landlord. A couple making a joint claim can ask for payments to be split between them.

This guide does not give the Northern Ireland Universal Credit amounts or savings limits: check nidirect or ask Advice NI.

Redundancy pay

Statutory redundancy pay needs at least 2 years of continuous employment, in Northern Ireland as in the rest of the UK.

No more than 20 years can be counted. For redundancies from 6 April 2026, a week's pay is capped at £783. The most statutory redundancy pay can be is £23,490.

Your employer must tell you in writing how your redundancy pay has been worked out. Your contract may give you more than the statutory amount.

Deadlines you must meet

• Claiming unpaid statutory redundancy pay: 6 months from the date the employment ended. The tribunal deadline guide works out your date.
• Challenging a benefit decision: act straight away. The Universal Credit appeals guide covers the steps.

Traps

• Do not use Great Britain figures or offices here. The Northern Ireland redundancy pay cap is £783 a week.
• Savings do not affect New Style JSA.
• New Style JSA is not for you if an illness or disability stops you working: see our benefits guide.
• Universal Credit in Northern Ireland is paid twice a month unless you ask for monthly payments.