The notes on this page are for EEA nationals and their family members who were resident in the UK on 31 December 2020.

A jobseeker means someone entering the job market who is not already established as a worker and does not retain the status of worker from a previous job.

To be recognised as a jobseeker in the UK if you are an EEA national, you must satisfy the following two conditions:

1. You have entered the UK to seek employment, or you are entering the job market and looking for work while you have / or have recently had, an alternative ‘right to reside’: for example a student leaving the education system; and

2. You can provide evidence that you are seeking employment, and have a genuine chance of gaining employment (e.g. by evidencing qualifications, previous work references, job adverts and applications etc)

You also need to be a person who is still able to rely on EU rights of residence from 1 January 2021.

Duration of right to reside as a jobseeker

If you enter the job market after pursuing some other activity (eg studying) you will have the right to reside as a jobseeker for six months.

This period can be extended for a brief period if you can show that you have a realistic chance of finding work – for example if you have a job offer at the end of the 3 months, and are waiting to take up employment, or you can prove you have had viable job interviews, and are awaiting the outcome – these examples are not exhaustive.

If you came to the UK before 1 January 2021 in order to seek work, and were not already residing here before you started looking for work, your right to reside as a jobseeker began after a preliminary period of three months, and lasted for a further three months until your total residence had reached six months.

The last remaining cohort of jobseekers completed their six months’ residence by the end of June 2021, so it is now only possible to have the status of EEA jobseeker if:

• you enter the job market while already resident in the UK in some other capacity, or
• you completed six months’ residence before the end of June 2021 and your right to reside as a jobseeker has been extended because you have a realistic chance of finding work in the near future

Claiming benefits as a jobseeker

Your potential entitlement to benefits as a jobseeker is limited.

Jobseekers Allowance

Very few people can make new claims for income-based Jobseekers Allowance – barring a few very rare exceptions, Universal Credit is the only means-tested benefit claim that can be made by someone seeking work.

In cases where income-based Jobseekers Allowance can still be claimed, the right to reside as a jobseeker satisfies the right to reside test.

Child tax Credit and Child Benefit

You may be able to claim Child Benefit and Child Tax Credit during your period as a ‘Jobseeker’.

All other means tested benefits

If you only have a right to reside as a jobseeker, you will not satisfy the right to reside test for Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, income-related Employment Support Allowance, Income Support, Pension Credit or Council Tax Reduction.