Originally Posted by Arthur Little
... 'fraid not, NO! Unfortunately, you can only do so once you have been granted Indefinite Leave to Remain/Permanent Residence. Only THEN, would you be eligible to claim Unemployment Benefit ... or *Income-Based Jobseekers' Allowance [payable from public funds] *as it's now called.
This is not strictly true as you could be eligible to receive contribution based JSA (Job Seekers Allowance) if you have previously paid enough National Insurance contributions to qualify. Most people on this forum will have Indefinite Leave to Remain by the time this is the case. Contribution Based JSA is not classed as Public Funds. Non-contribution based JSA is classed as Public Funds.
