Updated for 2026/27 Independent estimate Not GOV.UK

JSA guide and estimator

Check whether New Style JSA may be in range and what the weekly amount could be.

Enter your details

Keep this to the figures that most affect the estimate. You can re-run a few scenarios in under a minute.

Main details

Extra assumptions

Estimated result

Use this as a planning estimate. It is designed to show the shape of the answer and what changes it most.

Indicative weekly New Style JSA
£95.55
Indicative six-month JSA total: £2,484.30
New Style JSA depends heavily on National Insurance history, age and whether you are working fewer than 16 hours a week.
Weekly JSA used £95.55
Period used
Indicative weekly New Style JSA
Annual view
£2,484.30
Estimate only
Check local and official rules next
Weekly JSA used £95.55
Hours worked each week £0.00
New claims are for New Style JSA. Income-based JSA is a legacy benefit.
If your NI record is weak or your income is low, Universal Credit may be the more relevant route to check.
Ad placement

A modern JSA page for current search intent

Many search results for JSA are still mixed with old legacy information. This page is aimed at the live reality: New Style JSA, contribution conditions, and the interaction with low-hours work. That makes it more useful for someone trying to decide what to claim now.

The output is intentionally modest because a lot of the real value is in showing whether JSA is even the right route to investigate.

Why hours and NI record matter most

The two questions that knock out many would-be JSA claims are whether recent Class 1 contributions are strong enough and whether work exceeds the low-hours limit. Those are handled directly in the page rather than buried in long eligibility text.

That keeps the experience practical while still leaving room for explanatory content underneath the tool.

When Universal Credit is likely to be the more important page

If your NI record is weak, your savings are low and you need broader support with rent or children, Universal Credit is often the more relevant next page. The architecture of this site assumes that users move across those clusters rather than staying inside one benefit only.

That cross-linking is deliberate: it improves usefulness and preserves the internal-topic-cluster strengths of the original site.

Related calculators

People usually check these pages next when they are comparing support, testing a change of circumstances, or trying to explain a low result.

Frequently asked questions

How much New Style JSA does this estimator use?
It uses up to £75.65 a week for ages 18 to 24 and up to £95.55 a week for age 25 or over.
Can you get JSA if you work 16 hours or more a week?
Usually no, which is why this page sets the estimate to zero once hours reach 16 or more.
Is income-based JSA still open to new claims?
No. The relevant modern route is New Style JSA or Universal Credit.

Independent estimate only

This page is written to help you understand the likely direction of the answer quickly, not to replace the official claim process. Local authority rules, evidence requirements, deductions, sanctions, timing and special-case rules can all change the final outcome.