Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) is a United Kingdom benefit, colloquially known as the dole^[1] (or, in Northern Ireland & Scotland, as broo^{[citation needed]}). It is a form of unemployment benefit paid by the government to people who are unemployed and seeking work. It is part of the social security benefits system and is intended to cover living expenses while the claimant is out of work. It is paid by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in England, Wales, and Scotland, and in Northern Ireland by the Social Security Agency - an executive agency of the Department for Social Development. It is a working age benefit, and is generally available only to those aged 18–60 (the exact maximum age for claiming the allowance is linked to the rise in State Pension age).^[2] Jobseeker's Allowance is likely to be replaced by the Universal Credit^{[citation needed]} during the current^[when?] parliament. There are two forms of Jobseeker's Allowance, contribution-based and income-based.

To be eligible for JSA the claimant must prove that they are actively seeking work. This is done by filling in a Jobseeker's Agreement form and attending a New Jobseeker interview (NJI). They must also present themselves at their local Job Centre every two weeks thereafter to "sign on". Receiving Jobseeker's Allowance is therefore also known colloquially as "signing on". Claims for Jobseeker's Allowance are maintained by the Jobseeker's Allowance Payment System (JSAPS).

Outside the United Kingdom, similar payments are made in the Republic of Ireland and in Australia. Ireland has its own version of Jobseeker's Allowance^[3] which is also colloquially known as the dole. Australia has implemented similar unemployment/welfare policies, which also have official titles based on colloquial names.

History[link]

The first unemployment benefits were paid in 1911,^[4] to job seekers who had paid National Insurance contributions ("the stamp"). These payments were thus made only to people who had recently been in work, and not simply to those on low incomes. Furthermore, benefits were only paid for up to twelve months, by which time a claimant had to have regained work.

After the Second World War, the National Assistance Act 1946 was passed, and from 1948 anyone of working age on a low income could apply for support. National Assistance was replaced by Supplementary Benefit in November 1966, and Unemployment Benefit claimants could transfer to this after their initial entitlement had expired. Supplementary Benefit was later replaced by Income Support in April 1988.

To streamline the system of benefits, improve claimant compliance and partially remove the distinction between means-tested claimants and those claiming against contribution records, long-term job seekers were disallowed from claiming Income Support in 1996 when the current Jobseeker's Allowance was introduced.

Contribution-based Jobseeker's Allowance[link]

Contribution-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA(C)) entitlement is based on Class 1 National Insurance contributions in the two complete tax years preceding the calendar year of claim. This allowance is paid regardless of assets.^[5]

Certain other benefits including Statutory sick pay, Statutory paternity pay, Statutory maternity pay, Statutory adoption pay, Employment and Support Allowance, Bereavement benefit, Carer's allowance and JSA(C) itself also count towards Class 1 contributions and are called "Credited Class 1 contributions".

Self-employed people do not pay Class 1 contributions, and thus may not claim JSA(C).

JSA(C) may be claimed for only 26 weeks before having to move onto JSA(IB), if eligible (see below).

Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance[link]

People who are not eligible for JSA(C) may claim Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, JSA(IB), which is means tested for each individual claimant and/or their dependents. People who are eligible for JSA(C) may also claim JSA(IB) for any additional payments due under that benefit (for family dependents, for example). JSA(IB) is payable only if the claimant has less than £16,000 in savings (correct as of July 2006). Payments are reduced if the claimant has savings between £6,000 and £16,000.

Both forms of benefit face 100% marginal deductions if the individual earns more than a small amount - the 'disregard' - this is £5 per week for single people, £10 per week for couples and £20 per week for certain other groups such as some lone parents and disabled people. The 'disregard' has remained at the same nominal amount since the 1980s and has never been uprated with inflation, unlike benefits themselves. The benefit is withdrawn from those working 16 or more hours a week (though this does not apply to voluntary work^[6]). Part time students can claim provided they do not have more than 16 hours a week in teacher contact time and the course is not officially designated as full time by the college (irrespective of the number of hours of contact time).

Sanctions[link]

In certain cases, a claimant's Jobseeker's Allowance may be stopped. These are:

• Not being available for or actively seeking work, or not signing the Jobseeker's Agreement: if a claimant does not declare on the Jobseeker's Agreement that they are available for and actively seeking work, and sign the Agreement, the benefit will be suspended until the claimant completes and signs the agreement. Once the agreement has been signed, a Decision Maker will decide how much of the claim should be backdated, if any.
• Missing a Restart interview: the claim will be terminated unpaid, back benefit entitlement will be lost, and the claimant will need to make a new claim.
• Voluntarily leaving work, or refusing a notified vacancy: temporary reduction or stoppage of benefit payment, known as a sanction. The sanction may be up to 26 weeks, and the length will be decided by an adjudicator. A notified vacancy is a job vacancy which the claimant has found out about from Job Centre Plus, who keep records of all the jobs their clients request information about.
• Refusing to attend compulsory scheme, or failing to comply with Direction: sanction of two weeks for the first instance, and four weeks for second and subsequent instances.

Jobseeker's Agreement[link]

When a claimant attends a new Jobseeker Interview, they form a Jobseeker's Agreement with their advisor and sign it. The agreement is sometimes changed at one to one interviews every 4 weeks. The terms of the agreement include:

• How many companies they will telephone each week
• The maximum journey time to a potential employer for work
• How many things they will do to get work a week
• How many times they should search DirectGov's job section a week
• How many companies they will visit in person each week
• Whether they will use any magazines/newspapers to find vacancies
• That they will not work for more than 16 hours a week. Educational courses are sometimes counted for this time limit. The reason for this limit is that the government believes that doing more than 16 hours affects the Jobseeker's ability to find employment.

New Deal[link]

If claimants below the female state pension age have been unemployed for over twelve months, they will be placed on the New Deal scheme. Some may also enter the New Deal process early if they fall in special categories. From 2009, a Flexible New Deal scheme started using the private sector to provide tailored employment and skills support, with return-to-work performance incentives for the providers.

In Northern Ireland the New Deal was replaced in 2008 by a similar scheme known as Steps to Work. This scheme is administered by the Department for Employment and Learning which operates Jobs & Benefits Offices jointly with the Social Security Agency.

New Deal now no longer exists in England, Wales & Scotland as it was replaced by "The Work Programme" by the current coalition government. ^[7]

Over the state pension age[link]

Male claimants who reach the State Pension age for females (which is currently just over 60 years) are still eligible to claim Jobseeker's Allowance, although they must remain actively looking for work. Female claimants can only claim until they reach their relevant State Pension age. In both cases, the State Pension age is due to rise to 66 by 2020.

A claimant (regardless of their gender) can instead apply for Pension Credit after they have reached the female state pension age. This replaces their Jobseeker's payments and avoids the requirement to sign on. NI credits will be paid on their behalf, regardless of whether they are claiming either benefit.

See also[link]

• Jobseeker's Allowance Payment System
• Unemployment benefits
• Welfare (financial aid)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Jobseeker's Allowance - a survival guide from Urban75 e-zine
• Guardian Special Report - State Benefits

Look up Job or job in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

A job is a regular activity performed in exchange for payment.

Job may refer to:

In the Bible[link]

• Book of Job, part of the Hebrew Bible
• Job (biblical figure), the central character in the Book of Job

People[link]

Surname[link]

• Brian Job (born 1951), American former swimmer
• Joseph-Désiré Job (born 1977), Cameroonian footballer
• Ignjat Job (1895-1936), Croatian painter
• Nick Job (born 1949), English golfer

Given name[link]

• Patriarch Job of Alexandria, Greek Patriarch of Alexandria from 954 to 960
• Patriarch Job of Moscow (died 1607), first Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia and a saint of the Orthodox Church
• Job of Pochayiv (c. 1551-1651), Ukrainian Orthodox monk and Eastern Orthodox saint
• Job (Osacky) (1946-2009), archbishop of the Orthodox Church
• Job Adriaenszoon Berckheyde (1630-1698), Dutch painter
• Sir Job Charlton, 1st Baronet (c. 1614-1697), barrister, member and briefly Speaker of the House of Commons of England, and judge
• Job Charnock (c. 1630–1692), English East India Company administrator traditionally regarded as the founder of the city of Calcutta
• Job Cohen (born 1947), leader of the Dutch Labour Party
• Job Durfee (1790-1847), jurist and member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives
• Job Harriman (1861-1925), vice presidential candidate for the Socialist Party of America and founder of a utopian community
• Job Dean Jessop (1926-2001), American jockey
• Job Mann (1795-1873), member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania
• Job de Roincé (1896–1981), French journalist and writer
• Ayuba Suleiman Diallo (1701–1773), also known as Job ben Solomon, Muslim transported to America as a slave
• Job Tausinga (born 1951), Minister for Education and Human Resources Development of the Solomon Islands
• Job Throckmorton (1545-1601), English religious pamphleteer and Member of Parliament

Pseudonyms[link]

• Jacques Onfroy de Bréville (1858-1931), French illustrator known as JOB

In the arts[link]

• Job: A Comedy of Justice, a novel by Robert A. Heinlein
• Job, a novel by Joseph Roth
• Job (Shea), a sculpture by Judith Shea
• Job: A Masque for Dancing, a ballet by British composer Ralph Vaughan Williams
• "Job", a 1980 song by San Francisco punk band The Nubs

Places[link]

• Job, Puy-de-Dôme, a commune in central France

In business[link]

• J.O.B. Records, a defunct record label which specialized in blues and R&B
• JOB (rolling papers), a brand of cigarette paper

Other uses[link]

• Job, a computer program used in a batch processing environment
• Job (professional wrestling), a wrestling performer who loses a match
• Job Network, a set of employment organizations funded by the Australian government

See also[link]

• The Job
• Hyper-IgE syndrome, a medical condition also known as Job's syndrome
• Jobs

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

The Seekers, or Legatine-Arians as they were sometimes known, were a Protestant dissenting group that emerged around the 1620s, probably inspired by the preaching of three brothers – Walter, Thomas, and Bartholomew Legate. Arguably, they are best thought of as forerunners of the Quakers, with whom many of them subsequently merged. Seekers considered all organised churches of their day to be corrupt, and preferred to wait for God's revelation.

Origins[link]

British historian Christopher Hill explains that, long before the English Revolution, there already existed a "lower-class heretical culture" in England. The cornerstones of this culture were anti-clericalism and a strong emphasis on Biblical study, but there were specific heretical doctrines that had “an uncanny persistence.” There was a rejection of Predestination, and an embrace of Millenarianism, mortalism, anti-Trinitarianism, and Hermeticism. Such ideas became "commonplace to seventeenth century Baptists, Levellers, Diggers, Seekers, early Quakers and other radical groupings which took part in the free-for-all discussions of the English Revolution."^[1]

Beliefs and practices[link]

The anti-clericalism of Seekers' pioneers the Legatts was far from unique. However, historically, when 'heretics' were faced with being burnt at the stake they retracted, retaining their beliefs in a less public way.^[2] The Legatts were exceptional. Thomas died in Newgate Prison after being arrested for his preaching and Bartholomew was burnt for heresy in 1612.

Seekers after the Legatts were Puritan, although not Calvinist. Whilst accepting their zeal in desiring a ‘godly society’, some contemporary historians doubt whether the English Puritans during the English Revolution were as committed to religious liberty and pluralism as traditional histories have suggested. However, historian John Coffey’s recent work^[3] has emphasised the contribution of a minority of radical Protestants who steadfastly sought toleration for so called Heresy, Blasphemy, Catholicism, non-Christian religions, and even Atheism. This minority included the Seekers, as well as the General Baptists and the Levellers. Their collective witness demanded the church to be an entirely voluntary, non-coercive community able to evangelise in a pluralistic society governed by a purely civil state. Such a demand was in sharp contrast to the ambitions of the magisterial Protestantism of the Calvinist majority.

The Seekers were not an organised religious group in any way that would be recognised today (i.e. not like a religious Cult or Denomination). They were shambolic (by modern standards), informal and localised. 'Membership' of a local Seekers assembly did not preclude membership of another sect. Indeed, Seekers shunned creeds (see Free Christianity) and each assembly tended to embrace a broad spectrum of ideas. That said, there were a number of beliefs and practices that made the Seekers distinctive from the large number of nonconformist dissenting groups that emerged around the time of the Commonwealth of England. Most significant was their form of collective worship.

In common with other Dissenters, the Seekers believed that the Roman Church corrupted itself and, through its common heritage, the Church of England as well. Only Christ himself could establish the "true" Church. Distinctively, in eager anticipation of his second-coming, and mindful of his direct inspiration and guidance in the meantime, the Seekers held meetings (free of all Church ritual) in silence.

Clearly, Seekers anticipated aspects of Quakerism. Unsurprisingly, a significant number of Seekers became Quakers^[4] and many remaining Seekers attended the funeral of George Fox, the founder of Quakerism.

Richard Baxter, a contemporary and unsympathetic author, claimed that they had merged with the "Vanists" or followers of Henry Vane the Younger.^[5]

Influential Seekers[link]

• William Erbery (or 'Erbury') (1604–1654) is credited with convincing Oliver Cromwell's daughter to become a Seeker.
• John Saltmarsh's The Smoke in the Temple (1646) is an important statement of the Seekers' beliefs.
• William Walwyn (see the Levellers).

See also[link]

• Religion in the United Kingdom
• English Dissenters
• 17th century denominations in England

References[link]

External links[link]

• ExLibris' page on The Seekers

Jeremy Kyle
Jeremy Kyle at Radio Festival 2010
Born	(1965-07-07) 7 July 1965 (age 46) Reading, England, United Kingdom
Nationality	British
Other names	Jezza
Education	University of Surrey
Occupation	Broadcaster
Years active	1996–present
Employer	ITV
Known for	The Jeremy Kyle Show
Spouse	Kirsty Rowley (m. 1989–1991) «start: (1989)–end+1: (1992)»"Marriage: Kirsty Rowley to Jeremy Kyle" Location: (linkback:http://en-wiki.pop.wn.com/index.php/Jeremy_Kyle) (divorced) Carla Germaine (m. 2003) «start: (2003)»"Marriage: Carla Germaine to Jeremy Kyle" Location: (linkback:http://en-wiki.pop.wn.com/index.php/Jeremy_Kyle)
Children	3 daughters, 1 son

Jeremy Kyle (born 7 July 1965)^[1] is an English radio and television presenter, best known for his British daytime television chat show on ITV, The Jeremy Kyle Show. Kyle is also the host of an American talk show of the same name which premiered on 19 September 2011.

Radio career[link]

From 1986-95, Kyle worked as a salesman for life insurance, recruitment, and radio advertising.^[2] He then became a radio presenter and after a brief stint at Orchard FM in Taunton and Leicester Sound in Leicester, he was signed by Kent's Invicta FM in 1996. In 1997, he joined BRMB in Birmingham, presenting the shows Late & Live and Jezza's Jukebox.^[3][4]

In 2000, Kyle moved to the Century FM network, taking this format with him. The show was called Jezza's Confessions. It was broadcast between 9pm and 1am. He won a Sony Award for Late & Live in 2001.^[2] On 1 July 2002, he made his first broadcast on Virgin Radio, presenting Jezza's Virgin Confessions every weekday from 8pm to midnight. In mid-2003, he broadcast the show from 9pm to 1am every weekday, and in January 2004 the show went out from 10pm to 1am, Sunday to Thursday. He left Virgin Radio in June 2004. From 5 September 2004, Kyle presented the Confessions show on London's Capital FM. The new programme aired Sunday to Thursday from 10pm to 1am with live calls on relationship issues of all kinds. Capital Confessions came to an end on 22 December 2005 to make way for The Jeremy Kyle Show, a similar show which ran from January 2006 to December 2006.

In late 2007, Kyle began a new show (The Jeremy Kyle Show), broadcasting across Gcap Media's One Network, of which Orchard FM, Invicta FM and BRMB, his previous employers, are a part. The programme differed from his previous shows in that he interviewed celebrities. Kyle also began broadcasting a new programme, on Essex FM, in November 2007.

Kyle joined Talksport on 21 September 2008 to present a lunchtime sports show every Sunday called The Jeremy Kyle Sunday Sports Show.

As a result of Talksport's Premiership coverage on a Sunday, Kyle's show was cancelled, and he left the station.^[5]

TV career[link]

In 2005 Kyle moved his format to ITV, with a programme also entitled The Jeremy Kyle Show. Here Kyle has reached his widest audience to date. His often aggressive manner with guests has been the source of both popularity and criticism. He is seemingly unafraid of reprisal from his guests, believing that speaking his mind is better than holding his peace. Guests sometimes take offence at Kyle's comments, one guest even attempting to throw a chair at him, whilst another threw an envelope at the back of his head, but he often justifies his criticism by claiming that he only wants to help them. Kyle recently claimed on air that his show was watched by 1.8 million viewers, a very high figure for a daytime chat show.

In September 2007, Judge Alan Berg described The Jeremy Kyle Show as trash which existed to "titillate bored members of the public with nothing better to do". He went on to say "It seems to me that the purpose of this show is to affect a morbid and depressing display of dysfunctional people whose lives are in turmoil" and added that it was "human bear-baiting".^[6] The judge so characterised it "after [a] husband was provoked into headbutting [his] wife's lover in front of [Kyle's] studio audience".^[7]

In February 2008, The Jeremy Kyle Show was again criticised in court after a man who found out during the recording of a show that he was not the father of his wife's baby later pointed an air rifle at her.^[8]

Other shows Kyle is involved with include Kyle's Academy, a ten-part series for ITV1 daytime which first aired on 18 June 2007.^[8] A team of experts (so-called life coaches and psychotherapists), headed by Kyle take five people and work with them over an intensive fortnight to help them on the road to a happier more fulfilled life. Kyle has also presented Half Ton Hospital, a show about morbidly obese people in the United States. In December 2009 he played himself in ITV1's comedy-drama The Fattest Man in Britain.

On 19 April 2011, Kyle began presenting a new documentary series called Military Driving School, where he visited the Defence School Of Transport in Yorkshire, following a group of new recruits as they undergo training as front line military drivers. He is the presenter of the ITV1 show High Stakes, which began on 11 October 2011. Billed as a game of "knowledge, risk, and tension," the show involves participants answering questions and stepping on the correct six squares on a grid in order to avoid trap numbers.^[9]

Writing career[link]

Kyle writes a column for Pick Me Up, a women's weekly magazine published by IPC.^[10] In his column, titled Jeremy Kyle Says..., Kyle adopts a frank style in responding to readers' problems that closely resembles the approach he takes on The Jeremy Kyle Show.

In 2009 Kyle wrote his first book, 'I'm Only Being Honest', about Britain's social problems and his views on how to solve them including recounts of his past and personal life.^[11]

Personal life[link]

Kyle was born in Reading, Berkshire.^[1] His father was an accountant and personal secretary to the Queen Mother.^[12] He attended the independent Reading Blue Coat School in Sonning, Berkshire^[2] and studied history and sociology at the University of Surrey.^[13]

He met his first wife, Kirsty Rowley, in 1988, when he was a recruitment consultant in an agency in Bristol.^[14] They became a couple within a fortnight, and were engaged within two months. They married in Almondsbury near Bristol seven months later, in July 1989. Their daughter, Harriet, was born in June 1990. The marriage ended just five months after the birth, in November 1990. His ex-wife has since claimed that Kyle had carefully concealed a destructive and expensive gambling habit from her over the course of their marriage.^[14]

He met former model Carla Germaine in 1999, while he was presenting on a BRMB radio show, and Germaine entered the controversial Two Strangers and a Wedding contest hosted by the station.^[15]

As the winner of the bride part of the contest, her prize was to marry the selected groom, Greg Cordell. Their marriage lasted only three months, after claims that Greg had an affair just days after their honeymoon, and she subsequently married Kyle in 2002.^[15][16][17] They have two daughters and a son together.

Kyle is a supporter of West Ham United.^[18] He suffers from obsessive–compulsive disorder and has stated that he "licks his mobile phone to make sure it's clean", as stated in his book "I'm Only Being Honest".^[19]

Kyle has described his opinion on "Broken Britain":

I think it starts with the breakdown of the family unit. Society should invest more in our kids. There should be community centres and youth clubs. And our benefits system – it's the greatest in the modern world. But there are loopholes and people taking advantage.^[12]

In October 2010, Kyle appeared at the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham. He chaired "Getting Britain Back To Work" alongside George Osborne.^[20]

References[link]

External links[link]

• The Jeremy Kyle Show at itv.com