PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Universal Credit (14 September 2020)

A claimant in receipt of New Style JSA may wish to claim Universal Credit and benefit calculators are available on the GOV.UK website to help people identify potential eligibility across the welfare system. New Style Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) claimants retain legacy benefit earnings, pension and payment rules.This is different to those for Universal Credit. Therefore, if a claimant starts working more than 16 hours per week the claim will close and they will not be able to benefit from the tailored features of Universal Credit, such as the taper and work allowance.

New Style JSA and Universal Credit can be paid in parallel from the start of a claim and is considered to be a ‘dual claim’. This may be in circumstances such as where the award of New Style JSA is nil and is therefore a National Insurance credits only claim.

Payments of New Style JSA are taken into account as unearned income in the Universal Credit monthly assessment period. Universal Credit conditionality applies and the detail of what a claimant must do to meet their work-related requirements are set out in their Universal Credit claimant commitment, which must be accepted for a New Style JSA and Universal Credit claim, as this remains a condition of entitlement.