NI contributions

[malagabob]

How many weeks/how much NI class 1 contributions in any 1 year do you need to have paid to claim unemployment benefit

[tonywiltshire]

To claim contribution based JSA you must have paid Class 1 NI contributions on earnings 25 times the lower earning limit in one of the 2 complete tax years before the start of the benefit year in which you make your claim.
If you do not qualify for contribution based JSA you can claim means tested JSA.

[malagabob]

Thanks Tony but can you give me a idea in £s. What is the lower earnings limit.

[buildersmate]

It's about £100 per week. (It will be £107 pw. in the tax year 2012/13)

[tonywiltshire]

As usual BM has it, £102 per week now, rising to £107 in April 2012.

[THECORBYLOON]

There are TWO contribution conditions and both need to be satisfied to qualify for JSA. The second one is that Class 1 contributions have been paid or treated as being paid or credited and must be at least 50 times the LEL for each of the last two complete tax years before the start of the benefit year.

[THECORBYLOON]

By the way, for the first contribution condition, it's 26 times the lower earnings limit (LEL) not 25, it may seem minor but it could make all the difference.

[tonywiltshire]

Corby. Would you please be kind enough to provide proof/evidence that to claim contribution based JSA you need to show you have:

1/ Paid or treated as paid at least 26 weeks NI contributions at the lowest level within one of the two last years.
2/ Paid or treated as paid at least 50 times the lowest earnings level of NI for each of the last two tax years before the year of benefit claim.

As you claimed on the 15 March. Thank you.

[THECORBYLOON]

From the DWP Decision Makers' Guide

First contribution condition
General
21067 To satisfy the first contribution condition1
1. the claimant must have paid Class 1 contributions in respect of one (“the base year”) of the last two complete tax years before the beginning of the relevant benefit year and

2. Class 1 contributions must have been paid before the week that the claimant claims JSA and

3. the claimant must have had relevant earnings for the base year on which the Class 1 contributions have been paid or treated as paid of at least 26 times the LEL for that tax year (see DMG Appendix 1 to this Chapter).

1 JS Act 95, s 2(1)(a), 2(2) & 35(1)

Second contribution condition
General
21074 To satisfy the second contribution condition 1
1. the claimant must have
1.1 paid Class 1 contributions or
1.2 been credited with earnings
for the last two complete tax years before the beginning of the relevant benefit year and

2. the earnings factor from the earnings
2.1 on which primary Class 1 contributions have been paid or treated as
being paid or
2.2 credited
must be at least 50 times the LEL for each of those last two complete tax years
(see DMG Appendix 1 to this Chapter).

1 JS Act 95, s 2(1)(b), 2(3) & 35(1)

[THECORBYLOON]

This is the legislation on which the guidance is based, s.2 of the Jobseeker's Act 1995 http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/a11-0101.pdf

[tonywiltshire]

Corby. Many thanks for the information, which I will study; you are a great asset to this site.