Jobseekers Act 1995

2 The contribution-based conditions

(1) The conditions referred to in section 1(2)(d)(i) are that the claimant—

(a) has actually paid Class 1 contributions in respect of one (“the base year”) of the last two complete years before the beginning of the relevant benefit year and satisfies the additional conditions set out in subsection (2);

(b) has, in respect of the last two complete years before the beginning of the relevant benefit year, either paid Class 1 contributions or been credited with earnings and satisfies the additional condition set out in subsection (3);

(c) does not have earnings in excess of the prescribed amount; and

(d) is not entitled to income support.

(2) The additional conditions mentioned in subsection (1)(a) are that—

(a) the contributions have been paid before the week for which the jobseeker’s allowance is claimed;

(b) the earnings factor derived from earnings upon which primary Class 1 contributions have been paid or treated as paid is not less than the base year’s lower earnings limit multiplied by 25.

(3) The additional condition mentioned in subsection (1)(b) is that the earnings factor derived from earnings upon which primary Class 1 contributions have been paid or treated as paid or from earnings credited is not less, in each of the two complete years, than the lower earnings limit for the year multiplied by 50.

(4) For the purposes of this section—

(a) “benefit year” means a period which is a benefit year for the purposes of Part II of the Benefits Act or such other period as may be prescribed for the purposes of this section;

(b) “the relevant benefit year” is the benefit year which includes—

(i) the beginning of the jobseeking period which includes the week for which a jobseeker’s allowance is claimed, or

(ii) (if earlier) the beginning of any linked period; and

(c) other expressions which are used in this section and the Benefits Act have the same meaning in this section as they have in that Act.