Jobseeker's Allowance in social security agreement countries
Jobseeker's allowance is only covered by a limited number of social security agreements, as set out below.
Canada
Contribution-based JSA is not payable in Canada. If you come to the UK from Canada, periods when you lived or worked in Canada may be taken into account when deciding whether you are entitled to benefit. If at any time before 6 April 1975 you paid at least 26 UK Class 1 contributions, or in any tax year after 6 April 1975 you paid UK Class 1 contributions on earnings of at least 25 times the weekly lower earnings limit for that year, then for the purpose of considering whether you satisfy the contribution conditions for contribution-based JSA, weeks when you worked or weeks when you were sick or unemployed when you would otherwise have worked as a paid employee in Canada count as weeks when UK Class 1 contributions were paid.
Jersey and Guernsey
Contribution-based JSA is not payable in Guernsey. Similarly, Guernsey Unemployment Benefit is not payable in the UK. There is no Unemployment Benefit in Jersey. But sometimes the UK insurance you have paid while you were working for an employer can be treated as if you had paid it in Guernsey. But you must have paid some insurance since you last arrived in Guernsey, and have paid at least 26 Class 1 contributions. This means you may be able to get Guernsey Unemployment Benefit in Guernsey.
If you do claim Unemployment Benefit under the Guernsey scheme and you rely on the provisions mentioned above, any time you were paid contribution-based JSA in the UK will count as if you had been paid Unemployment Benefit under the Guernsey scheme.
In the same way, if you have paid any National Insurance since you last arrived in the UK, your Guernsey insurance may help you to get UK contribution-based JSA. But you must have done work in Guernsey for an employer. Also, any time you were paid Unemployment Benefit in Guernsey will count as if it had been paid under the UK contribution-based scheme.
If you have not paid any National Insurance since you last arrived in the UK, but were working abroad for a UK employer, you might still be able to get contribution-based JSA if you remained ordinarily resident in the UK for the whole time you were abroad and paid contributions for the first 52 weeks.
Republics of the former Yugoslavia
Contribution-based JSA is not payable in the Republic. Similarly, Unemployment Benefit paid by the Republic is not payable in the UK. But sometimes the UK insurance you have paid while you were working for an employer can be treated as if you had paid it in the Republic. However, you must:
- have paid some insurance since you last arrived in the Republic; or
- be a citizen of the Republic; or
- be ordinarily resident in the Republic.
This means that you may be able to get the Republic's Unemployment Benefit in the Republic.
In the same way, your insurance in the Republic may help you to get UK contribution-based JSA if:
- you have paid any National Insurance since you last arrived in the UK; or
- you are a British citizen, a British Dependent Territories citizen, a British Overseas citizen or a British National (Overseas); or
- you are ordinarily resident in the UK.
For the purpose of any claim for UK contribution-based JSA, residence in the Republic will be treated as residence in the UK.
If you have not paid any National Insurance since you last arrived in the UK, but were working abroad for a UK employer, you might still be able to get contribution-based JSA if you remained ordinarily resident in the UK for the whole time you were abroad and paid contributions for the first 52 weeks.
New Zealand
Contribution-based JSA is not payable in New Zealand. Similarly, New Zealand Unemployment Benefit is not payable in the UK. But if you are unemployed while in New Zealand, the agreement may help you to qualify for New Zealand Unemployment Benefit by treating your residence in the UK as residence in New Zealand.
In the same way, if you normally work for an employer in the UK and you claim UK contribution-based Jobseeker's Allowance, the agreement allows periods of employment in New Zealand to be treated as periods for which UK contributions were paid.
If you claim contribution-based Jobseeker's Allowance and you rely on the provisions above, any time you were paid Unemployment Benefit in New Zealand will count as if you had been paid under the UK contribution-based scheme.
If you do not qualify for benefit under the conditions outlined above, but were working abroad for a UK employer, you might still be able to get contribution-based JSA if you remained ordinarily resident in the UK for the whole time you were abroad and paid contributions for the first 52 weeks.
