Rapid re-claim aims to encourage people to take temporary or short term employment by removing the fear that it will be difficult to re-claim their benefit when the job ends. Rapid Re-claim is available to you if you re-claim Jobseeker's Allowance within a 12 week period, regardless of the reason your previous claim ended.

To be eligible for the Rapid Re-claim process you must satisfy the following conditions:

The Rapid Re-claim process also applies if you are required to make a Joint Claim for Jobseeker's Allowance as long as the previous claim was a joint claim. If one member of the couple has made a single claim since a previous joint claim, the Rapid Re-claim process is not appropriate.

You will be booked an appointment with an Adviser for a new Jobseeker's interview on the day of contact or the following day. You will be requested to bring a properly completed claim form and supporting documents when attending the interview.

At the interview the conditions of Jobseeker's Allowance will be explained and a Jobseeker's Agreement will be drawn up based on your Jobsearch Plan. A claim for Jobseeker's Allowance will only be accepted when a claim form has been properly completed.

If an appointment with an Adviser is not available a shortened interview will be carried out. This interview will involve checking that there has been no change in circumstances, or labour market doubts, and making sure the claim form has been properly completed so that it can be passed for processing on the date of the interview. If you have a shortened interview, a Client Adviser interview will be arranged to coincide with your first fortnightly attendance to enable a Jobseeker's Agreement to be drawn up between you and the Client Adviser.

Claims made under the Rapid Re-claim process are made on a shortened claim form JSA4(RR) and are passed to the processing section through a more streamlined route.

The customer can get more help and information on how the new Rapid Re-claim process will work from their local Social Security or Jobs & Benefits office.