Young People and Benefits - Young people looking for work

If you are unemployed, you may be able to get Universal Credit. You will need to show you are available for work and are looking for work. You will also need to be in one of these groups:

• You or your partner are responsible for a child
• You are an orphan and have no-one acting for you in place of your parents
• You have left local authority care and live away from your parents or any person acting in their place (but see the special rules for care leavers)
• You have to live away from your parents and any person acting in their place and either:
  • you are estranged from them or would be in danger if you lived with them
  • they cannot support you because they are in prison or unable to come to the UK
  • they are sick or have disabilities.

It is no longer possible to make new claims for Jobseeker's Allowance but if you are already getting it you may be able to carry on getting it as long as you carry on meeting the conditions of entitlement.

Reviewed: April 2022