If you’ve just lost your job, you might be wondering what out-of-work benefits you’ll be able to claim. The benefits available depend on how long you were working for, your National Insurance contributions, how you left your job, and your household circumstances.
What benefits can you claim if you’ve lost your job?
If you’ve lost your job, the main benefit you can claim is new style Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA).
You might also be able to get help with costs such as housing and childcare through Universal Credit.
Universal Credit is replacing a number of benefits you would have normally claimed, including Tax Credits and Housing Benefit.
New style Jobseeker’s Allowance
If you’ve made enough Class 1 National Insurance contributions in the past two full tax years, you might be able to get new style Jobseeker’s Allowance.
You can get this for up to six months. It will be paid into your bank, building society or credit union account every two weeks. Your partner’s or spouse’s income won’t affect your claim.
Find out more about making a claim for new style Jobseeker’s Allowance on the GOV.UK website
If you need help with things, such as housing costs or bringing up children, you’ll have to make a separate application for Universal Credit.
Universal Credit is based on household income, so your partner’s or spouse’s income will affect how much you’ll get.
Find out more in our guide Universal Credit explained
Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance is a means-tested benfit for jobseekers who hadn't paid enough qualifying National Insurance contributions or who are still looking for work when their new style Jobseeker's Allowance runs out.
It is one of the benefits being replaced by Universal Credit. Most people can no longer make a new claim for it and will now have to make a claim for Universal Credit instead.
This includes people who were getting Severe Disability Premium and were previously prevented from claiming Universal Credit.
For more details about the different kinds of Jobseeker’s Allowance on the GOV.UK website
Find out more in our guide How do savings and lump sum payouts affect benefits?
Tax credits
Most people won’t be able to make a new claim for Working Tax Credits or Child Tax Credits. Instead, you’ll be asked to apply for Universal Credit.
If you’re already getting tax credits and lose your job, this is a change of circumstances. This might mean you’ll have to make a new claim for Universal Credit.
You need to tell HMRC’s Tax Credit Office within 30 days. You can call the Tax Credits Helpline on 0345 300 3900. Find out other ways to contact the Tax Credit Office on the GOV.UK website
You might still be able to claim Tax Credits if either you or your partner is of Pension Credit age.
Find out more in our guide Working Tax Credits
Benefits to help with housing costs
Help with your rent
Depending on your income and savings, you might get some help with your rent from the housing costs element of Universal Credit if you're making a new claim for support.
Most people can no longer make a new claim for Housing Benefit. If you're already getting Housing Benefit and lose your job, this may count as a change of circumstances and you'll have to claim Universal Credit instead.
If you qualify for Universal Credit, your Housing Benefit will be paid for a further two weeks after you send in your Universal Credit claim before it stops.
Find out more about Housing Benefit on the GOV.UK website
Find out more in our guide How much is Universal Credit?
Help with Council Tax
You might also be able to get help with Council Tax.
Apply for Council Tax Reduction on the GOV.UK website
Help with mortgage interest payments
If you’re a homeowner, you might qualify for help with your mortgage interest payments.
Find out more in our guide Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI)
Benefits to help with other costs
There are other specialist benefits available. So whatever your circumstances, make sure you’re getting the right entitlements.
To find out what benefits you could get, use the Benefits Calculator on the Turn2us website
Welfare and educational grants
If you’re on a low income, there might be some support available through welfare and educational grants from charities.
You can search for grants on the Turn2us website
Statutory redundancy pay
If you’ve been made redundant, you’ll normally be entitled to statutory redundancy pay if:
- you’re an employee
- have made enough National Insurance contributions, and
- you’ve been working for your current employer for at least two years.
Also, check your employment contract to see if you’re entitled to contractual redundancy pay as well.
Find out more in our guide Redundancy pay
Are you entitled to benefits if you’ve been sacked?
If you’ve been dismissed from your job because of misconduct, or you left it without a good reason, there might be a delay before you can start getting Jobseeker’s Allowance or Universal Credit.
This is because your Jobcentre Plus work coach is allowed to apply a sanction to your benefit. This means, they can stop it being paid for a certain number of weeks. It’s up to your work coach how long the sanction lasts.
Find out more about Jobseeker’s Allowance sanctions on the GOV.UK website
If your circumstances change
Remember to tell Jobcentre Plus if you go back to work or if your circumstances change.
If you live in Northern Ireland, you need to tell your Jobs & Benefits office.
You also need to notify HMRC. You might be fined of up to £300 if you don’t tell the HMRC’s Tax Credits Office that your circumstances have changed.
You might still be entitled to some help when you go back to work and your income is low.
For example, if you were getting Jobseeker’s Allowance you might carry on getting Housing Benefit or Working Tax Credit.
If you’re getting Universal Credit, your payments might gradually reduce until your income rises to the point where you no longer qualify for it.