A budgeting loan from the DWP can prove a highly beneficial means of accessing money that you need for an emergency payment. Not everybody is entitled to apply for these loans, which come from the Social Fund and are arranged by the Jobcentre Plus, but if you claim certain benefits and have done for a certain period of time, and you do have a genuine need for the money, then you may well be eligible to apply.
You must have been claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance, income related Employment and Support Allowance (formerly known as Incapacity Benefit), Income Support, or Pension Credit for the past 26 weeks in order to claim. However, this isn’t the only criteria that you must meet to be considered.
You need to have a genuine requirement for the money and it must be for furniture, clothing, moving costs and advance rent, travel expenses, money to help you find gainful employment, home costs, maternity or funeral costs, or to pay off debts that you have accumulated to pay for any of these things.
The amount you receive will depend on the reason for borrowing the money, your savings, and whether you already owe money to the social fund. Also, whether you are submitting a solo or joint application will also be taken into consideration.