You could get a Budgeting Loan to help pay for essential things like rent, furniture, clothes or hire purchase debts. The smallest amount you can borrow is £100.

Budgeting Loans are interest-free so you only pay back what you borrow. You normally have to repay the loan within 104 weeks.

You can apply for a loan if you’ve been getting income-related benefits for at least 26 weeks.

Budgeting Loans won't affect your other benefits.

How much you can get depends on if you:

• are single
• have children
• can pay the loan back
• have any savings over £1,000 (or £2,000 if you or your partner are over 60)
• already owe money to the Social Fund

You can't owe the Social Fund more than £1,500 - this includes Budgeting Loans and Crisis Loans.

How you’re paid

Loans are usually paid into your account, eg a bank account.

To qualify for a Budgeting Loan you or your partner must have been getting one of these benefits for at least 26 weeks:

• Income Support
• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Pension Credit

What a loan can pay for

Budgeting Loans can pay for:

• rent
• furniture or household equipment
• clothing or footwear
• removal expenses when you move home
• travelling expenses
• things to help you look for or start work
• improving, maintaining or securing your home
• maternity or funeral expenses
• repaying hire purchase or other debts you took out to pay for any of the above

Print off and fill in claim form SF500 and send or take it to your local Jobcentre Plus. You can also get the form from your local Jobcentre Plus.

Contact Jobcentre Plus if you have any questions about your claim.

Jobcentre Plus
Telephone: 0845 603 6967
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If you're unhappy with a decision

You can ask for a Budgeting Loan decision to be reviewed if you’re not happy with it. To do this, you must write to Jobcentre Plus within 28 days of the decision, explaining why you think it was wrong.

If you still think the decision was wrong after the review, you can ask for a further review by the office of the Independent Case Examiner. This review should take no longer than 21 working days.