Get an advance on your first payment

If you need help to pay your bills or cover other costs before you get your first Universal Credit payment, you can apply to get an advance. The amount you can get depends on your circumstances. The most you can get is the amount of your first estimated payment. How to apply You鈥檒l need to: explain why you need an advance verify your identity (you鈥檒l do this when you apply online or on the phone with a work coach) provide bank account details for the advance (talk to a Universal Credit contact at your local jobcentre or your work coach if you cannot open an account) explain any money or savings you have To apply, you can: update your journal in your Universal Credit account ask a Universal Credit contact at your local jobcentre or your work coach call the Universal Credit helpline Universal Credit helpline Telephone: 0800 328 5644 Textphone: 0800 328 1344 Relay UK (if you cannot hear or speak on the phone): 18001 then 0800 328 5644 British Sign Language (BSL) video relay service if you鈥檙e on a computer - find out how to use the service on mobile or tablet Welsh language: 0800 328 1744 Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm Find out about call charges You鈥檒l usually find out the same day if you can get an advance. If you need help Call the Universal Credit helpline if you need help applying for an advance payment. Paying back your advance You must usually pay back the advance within 24 months. You usually start paying it back out of your first payment. Example Your first estimated payment is 拢344 and you get 拢344 as an advance. You pay back your advance over 24 months, which is 拢14.33 per month. You鈥檒l get 拢329.67 on your first payment date - this is your first payment minus the bit you鈥檙e repaying (拢344 minus 拢14.33). If you鈥檙e struggling to repay an advance If you cannot afford your advance repayments, you can ask for your repayments to be delayed for 3 months. To request this, you can: update your journal in your Universal Credit account ask a Universal Credit contact at your local jobcentre or your work coach call the Universal Credit helpline Repaying if you no longer claim Universal Credit听 If you鈥檙e no longer claiming Universal Credit you鈥檒l still need to pay back your advance. If you move to another benefit, the deductions will usually continue from your payments. If you move off benefits, DWP Debt Management will be in touch to discuss repaying it. If you want to discuss your repayments you can call DWP Debt Management. DWP Debt Management Telephone: 0800 916 0647鈥� Textphone: 0800 916 0651 NGT text relay 鈥€� if you cannot hear or speak on the phone: 18001 then 0800 916 0647 Calling from abroad: +44 (0)161 904 1233 Monday to Friday, 8am to 7.30pm Find out about call charges 听

If your payments have been stopped or reduced

Your Universal Credit payments can be stopped or reduced if you get a sanction or fraud penalty. If so, you might be able to get financial support to help you (or a child or young person you look after) afford: food heating hygiene (for example soap, nappies or laundry powder) housing costs that are not provided by Universal Credit (such as supported, sheltered or temporary housing) The support is called a 鈥榬ecoverable hardship payment鈥�. You鈥檒l need to pay this back through your future Universal Credit payments. Eligibility You must: have reduced your non-essential costs have looked into other ways to get support be able to prove that you need the support If you鈥檙e in a couple, both of you must both agree to getting a hardship payment. There are additional rules if you鈥檝e been sanctioned. If you鈥檝e been sanctioned You must have been sanctioned at 100% (or 50% or more for a couple) of your standard allowance for any amount of time. You (and your partner if you have one) must also have completed: your work-related requirements in the 7 days before applying any activities you were given to end your sanction (sometimes called a 鈥榗ompliance condition鈥�) When you can apply听 You can only apply once you鈥檝e had a lower or missed Universal Credit payment because of a sanction or penalty. You鈥檒l need to reapply each time you get a lower or missed payment. You鈥檒l also need to show you鈥檙e still eligible. How to apply听 When you apply, you鈥檒l need to show: what you鈥檝e done to find other types of support听 what other income or savings you might have to help pay your costs听 what you鈥檝e done to reduce your non-essential costs听 which living costs you鈥檙e not able to afford To apply, you can:听 ask your Universal Credit contact at your local jobcentre or your work coach update your journal in your Universal Credit account call the Universal Credit helpline Universal Credit helpline Telephone: 0800 328 5644 Textphone: 0800 328 1344 Relay UK (if you cannot hear or speak on the phone): 18001 then 0800 328 5644 British Sign Language (BSL) video relay service if you鈥檙e on a computer - find out how to use the service on mobile or tablet Welsh language: 0800 328 1744 Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm Find out about call charges When you鈥檒l get your payment听 If your application is accepted, hardship payments are usually paid directly into your bank account on the same day. Repaying hardship payments You鈥檒l need to pay back a hardship payment once your sanction or fraud penalty has ended.听 Your Universal Credit payment will be automatically reduced by up to 15% of your standard allowance until you repay the hardship payment. You can check how much you owe and check when it will be paid back . Repaying if you no longer claim Universal Credit听 If you鈥檙e no longer claiming Universal Credit, DWP (Department for Work and Pensions) Debt Management will be in touch to discuss repaying it at an affordable rate.听 If you鈥檙e struggling to repay a hardship payment听 If you cannot afford your hardship payment deductions, you can call DWP Debt Management to discuss your options.听听 DWP Debt Management Telephone: 0800 916 0647鈥� Textphone: 0800 916 0651 NGT text relay 鈥€� if you cannot hear or speak on the phone: 18001 then 0800 916 0647 Calling from abroad: +44 (0)161 904 1233 Monday to Friday, 8am to 7.30pm Find out about call charges 听

Get an advance for unexpected costs

You might be able to get a Budgeting Advance to help with things like: emergency household costs like replacing a broken cooker听 money needed to get a job or staying in work听 funeral costs听 What you can get What you get will depend on how much you need. The smallest amount you can borrow is 拢100. You can get up to: 拢348 if you鈥檙e single 拢464 if you鈥檙e part of a couple 拢812 if you have children Eligibility To get a Budgeting Advance, you鈥檒l need to either: have been getting Universal Credit, Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support, Jobseeker鈥檚 Allowance or State Pension Credit for 6 months or more need the money to help you start a new job or stay in work You will not be eligible if either: you鈥檝e earned more than 拢2,600 (拢3,600 together for couples) in the past 6 months you鈥檝e not paid off any previous Budgeting Advance loans (you can only have one at a time) How to apply To apply, you can do any of the following: update your journal in your Universal Credit account ask a Universal Credit contact at your local jobcentre or your work coach call the Universal Credit helpline Universal Credit helpline Telephone: 0800 328 5644 Textphone: 0800 328 1344 Relay UK (if you cannot hear or speak on the phone): 18001 then 0800 328 5644 British Sign Language (BSL) video relay service if you鈥檙e on a computer - find out how to use the service on mobile or tablet Welsh language: 0800 328 1744 Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm Find out about call charges Paying back your advance You鈥檒l pay your advance back through your Universal Credit payments. You鈥檒l usually pay it back over 24 months, starting from your next Universal Credit payment. Example You get an advance of 拢240. You pay this back over 24 months, so 拢10 is taken off your payment each month. If you鈥檙e struggling to repay an advance If you cannot afford your advance repayments, you can ask for the amount you pay to change. To do this, you can: update your journal in your Universal Credit account ask a Universal Credit contact at your local jobcentre or your work coach call the Universal Credit helpline Repaying if you no longer claim Universal Credit听 If you鈥檙e no longer claiming Universal Credit you鈥檒l still need to pay back your advance. If you move to another benefit, the deductions will usually continue from your payments. If you move off benefits, DWP Debt Management will be in touch to discuss repaying it. If you want to discuss your repayments you can call DWP Debt Management. DWP Debt Management Telephone: 0800 916 0647鈥� Textphone: 0800 916 0651 NGT text relay 鈥€� if you cannot hear or speak on the phone: 18001 then 0800 916 0647 Calling from abroad: +44 (0)161 904 1233 Monday to Friday, 8am to 7.30pm Find out about call charges 听

Help with job expenses

If you鈥檙e applying for or starting a job, you can get support to pay for expenses like: buying a uniform or equipment paying for childcare before your first wage travelling to an interview buying interview clothes You do not usually need to pay this back. How to apply To apply, you can: update your journal in your Universal Credit account ask your Universal Credit contact at your local jobcentre or your work coach You鈥檒l need to show that you: need the money to get or start a job cannot afford to pay for it yourself If you cannot get help from your Universal Credit contact, you might be able to apply for an advance for unexpected costs .

Get an advance if your circumstances have changed

If your circumstances have changed and this means you鈥檒l be eligible for more money, you can apply for an advance. For example you might be able to get an advance if: you鈥檙e having a child your rent is going up you鈥檝e lost a job or your wages have gone down When you can apply You can apply as soon as you鈥檝e reported the change . You cannot apply after you鈥檝e received a higher payment due to your change of circumstances. How to apply To apply, you can do any of the following: update your journal in your Universal Credit account ask a Universal Credit contact at your local jobcentre or your work coach call the Universal Credit helpline Universal Credit helpline Telephone: 0800 328 5644 Textphone: 0800 328 1344 Relay UK (if you cannot hear or speak on the phone): 18001 then 0800 328 5644 British Sign Language (BSL) video relay service if you鈥檙e on a computer - find out how to use the service on mobile or tablet Welsh language: 0800 328 1744 Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm Find out about call charges Paying back your advance You鈥檒l pay your advance back through your Universal Credit payments. You鈥檒l usually pay it back over 6 months, starting from your next Universal Credit payment. If you鈥檙e struggling to repay an advance If you cannot afford your advance repayments, you can ask for your repayments to be delayed for one month. To request this, you can: update your journal in your Universal Credit account ask a Universal Credit contact at your local jobcentre or your work coach call the Universal Credit helpline Repaying if you no longer claim Universal Credit听 If you鈥檙e no longer claiming Universal Credit you鈥檒l still need to pay back your advance. If you move to another benefit, the deductions will usually continue from your payments. If you move off benefits, DWP Debt Management will be in touch to discuss repaying it. If you want to discuss your repayments you can call DWP Debt Management. DWP Debt Management Telephone: 0800 916 0647鈥� Textphone: 0800 916 0651 NGT text relay 鈥€� if you cannot hear or speak on the phone: 18001 then 0800 916 0647 Calling from abroad: +44 (0)161 904 1233 Monday to Friday, 8am to 7.30pm Find out about call charges 听

Apply for a Universal Credit advance or hardship payment: Overview

Apply for a Universal Credit advance or hardship payment

Overview

If you get Universal Credit and need help to pay your bills or cover other costs, you might be able to get an advance or hardship payment.

These will be paid to you before your next Universal Credit payment. You鈥檒l usually pay them back automatically through your regular Universal Credit payments.

How much you can get depends on your circumstances and what you need the money for.

Examples of what you can get an advance for include:

living costs before you get your first payment
essential living costs if you鈥檝e been sanctioned
work or job interview costs
emergency household costs
funeral costs

You can also find other financial support if you鈥檙e on Universal Credit.

View a printable version of the whole guide

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Apply for a Universal Credit advance or hardship payment

Overview

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Apply for a Universal Credit advance or hardship payment

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