Under 20 in relevant education
You cannot get JSA while in ‘relevant education’.
1s1(2)(g) JSA 1995Relevant education
You are in ‘relevant education’ if:
– your course is non-advanced
(ie, school level or below degree, Higher National Certificate or Higher National Diploma level) of more than 12 hours a week;
2Reg 54 JSA Regs and– you are under 19, or aged 19 and were accepted on, enrolled on or started your course before you turned 19.
This is the same definition as that used for child benefit and similar to that for child tax credit (CTC). So, although you cannot get JSA for yourself, your parents may still be able to get child benefit and CTC for you.
A special rule allows part-time students who have been on benefit for some months to study and get JSA at the same time, even though their course is over 12 hours a week. This applies if your course is not full time according to the rules below that apply to most students over 19, and you got JSA or ESA, or you were on an apprenticeship or similar training:
•during the last three months before the start of the course; or
•for three out of the last six months before the course if you were working the rest of the time.