Lost Your Job? What You Can Claim in England, Wales and Scotland

Who this guide is for

People in England, Wales or Scotland 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 Northern Ireland: see the Northern Ireland 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. A settlement agreement offer: see our settlement agreement guide.
• Appealing a benefit decision: see our Universal Credit appeals guide. Benefits for illness, disability, caring or children: see our benefits guide.
• Rent problems: see our housing guide. Debts: see our debt guide.
• How long a Universal Credit sanction lasts, exactly how final pay, notice pay and holiday pay are counted in each Universal Credit month, and help with rent or Council Tax. This guide does not set these out: ask Citizens Advice.

What the rules depend on

1. Have you worked as an employee and paid Class 1 National Insurance, usually in the last 2 to 3 years? Yes: you may get New Style JSA. No, for example you were self-employed and paid only Class 2: you will not get New Style JSA, but you may get Universal Credit.
2. How much do you and any partner have in savings, and what does your partner earn? Universal Credit looks at the whole household. New Style JSA is based on your own National Insurance record, and savings do not affect it.
3. Why did the job end? Leaving without a good reason, or because of your behaviour, can mean a JSA sanction.
4. Are you working 16 or more hours a week, or too ill to work? Either one usually rules out New Style JSA.
5. 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 Class 1 National Insurance contributions, usually in the last 2 to 3 years. You must usually have Class 1 contributions for the previous 2 tax years. National Insurance credits can count for one of those years if you did not pay contributions.

You must also be 18 or over, be under State Pension age, be in Great Britain and not be working 16 or more hours a week.

You will not be eligible if you were self-employed and paid only Class 2 National Insurance contributions (unless you were a share fisherman or a volunteer development worker), if you are in a trade dispute with your employer, or if an illness or disability stops you from working.

Your savings and your partner's savings will not affect your New Style JSA. Earnings from any work you do can reduce it.

New Style JSA is up to £95.55 a week if you are 25 or over, and up to £75.65 a week if you are 24 or under. You can get it for up to 182 days (about 6 months).

You may have to wait up to 7 days after applying for your JSA to start, and up to 2 weeks after that for your first payment. After that, payments are usually made every 2 weeks.

You cannot apply for income-based JSA any more. Apply for Universal Credit instead.

Apply online on GOV.UK. You then have an interview at your local Jobcentre Plus and agree a Claimant Commitment, which sets out what you will do to look for work.

Universal Credit

Universal Credit is paid monthly. How much you get depends on your standard allowance, any extra amounts that apply to you (for example for children or rent), and any money taken off (for example for earnings, other income or savings).

The monthly standard allowance from April 2026 is:

• single and under 25: £338.58
• single and 25 or over: £424.90
• living with your partner and both under 25: £528.34 for you both
• living with your partner and either of you 25 or over: £666.97 for you both

If you live with a partner, you claim Universal Credit as a couple, so your partner's income and savings are counted.

Money, savings and investments under £6,000 do not affect Universal Credit. Between £6,000 and £16,000 your payment is reduced by £4.35 a month for every £250 and another £4.35 for any amount left over that is not a complete £250. You usually cannot get Universal Credit with more than £16,000.

Redundancy pay you have not spent is money you have, so it is counted with your savings.

Final wages and pay in lieu of notice can count as earnings for Universal Credit and reduce a payment.

If you get New Style JSA and Universal Credit, the JSA counts as income and reduces your Universal Credit by the same amount. New Style JSA is usually paid more regularly than Universal Credit, and it gives you different National Insurance credits.

If you left your job, or were dismissed because of your behaviour

If you left your last job without a good reason or because of your behaviour, your New Style JSA can be reduced or stopped for a period (a sanction). You will be told how long. It could be up to 26 weeks (about 6 months).

Contact Jobcentre Plus as soon as possible if this applies to you. You may keep your payment if you had a good reason.

Universal Credit has its own sanction rules. This guide does not set them out: ask Citizens Advice.

If you disagree with a decision, first ask for it to be looked at again (mandatory reconsideration). If you still disagree, you can appeal to the Social Security and Child Support Tribunal. Keep claiming while the dispute is settled. The Universal Credit appeals guide covers the steps.

Redundancy pay

You are entitled to statutory redundancy pay if you are an employee and have worked for your employer continuously for 2 years or more.

You get half a week's pay for each full year you were 21 or under, 1 week's pay for each full year you were 22 to 40, and 1.5 weeks' pay for each full year you were 41 or over. Our redundancy pay calculator works it out.

Only the last 20 years of service count. For redundancies from 6 April 2026, a week's pay is capped at £751 even if you earn more. The most statutory redundancy pay can be is £22,530.

Your employer must tell you in writing how your redundancy pay has been worked out.

You may not be eligible for statutory redundancy pay if your employer offers you a suitable alternative job and you unreasonably turn it down.

Deadlines you must meet

• Claiming unpaid statutory redundancy pay: 6 months less 1 day. The tribunal deadline guide works out your date.
• Challenging a benefit decision: ask for a mandatory reconsideration straight away. The Universal Credit appeals guide covers the time limits.

Traps

• Savings do not stop New Style JSA. They can stop Universal Credit.
• Income-based JSA is closed to new claims. The choice now is New Style JSA, Universal Credit, or both.
• Working 16 or more hours a week usually rules out New Style JSA, but not Universal Credit.
• If an illness or disability stops you working, New Style JSA is not the right benefit: see our benefits guide.
• Do not use Northern Ireland figures here. Northern Ireland has a different redundancy pay cap.
• Redundancy pay counts only full years of service, and only the last 20 of them.