Budgeting Advance/Universal Credit

charlotte84
charlotte84 Online Community Member Posts: 96 Contributor
in Universal Credit (UC)
Good evening all, Do you have to be on UC for 6 months as a couple to get a Budgeting advance.? My partner was on UC a few years as a single claim before our joint one a few weeks ago. Thankyou 

Comments

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    edited January 2023

    You can get a budgeting advance if you need the money to help you get or stay in work - like train tickets for a job interview. If you need the money for any other reason, you’ll need to have claimed one of these benefits for 6 months or more:

    • Universal Credit
    • means-tested Jobseeker's Allowance,
    • means-tested Employment and Support Allowance
    • Income Support
    • Pension Credit
    As you were claiming Income Related ESA previously then you can apply but it doesn't mean they will agree. If you owe any money from any previous budgeting loan then you won't be able to have another until that one is paid back.


    Your Income Related ESA should also have continued as normal for 2 weeks once you claimed UC.

  • charlotte84
    charlotte84 Online Community Member Posts: 96 Contributor
    Thankyou for your help 
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    You're welcome.
  • JBS2022
    JBS2022 Scope Member Posts: 2,074 Championing
    edited January 2023
    They are getting strict with Budgeting Advances, unless it's an advance whilst waiting for a first payment, they can demand proof of what you need the money for..for example if you needed a new cooker they can demand receipts. It's really bizarre and it doesn't happen with ESA Budgeting Loans. Unless it's an emergency I wouldn't advise taking out loans, they can deduct between £20-35 a week from your benefits, a significant sum of money and benefit payment rates are already well below what they should be.
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    JBS2022 said:
    They are getting strict with Budgeting Advances, unless it's an advance whilst waiting for a first payment, they can demand proof of what you need the money for..for example if you needed a new cooker they can demand receipts. It's really bizarre and it doesn't happen with ESA Budgeting Loans. Unless it's an emergency I wouldn't advise taking out loans, they can deduct between £20-35 a week from your benefits, a significant sum of money.

    I had gathered that because i've heard of some people being refused the budegting advance.
  • JBS2022
    JBS2022 Scope Member Posts: 2,074 Championing
    Yeah @poppy123456 apparently according to the DWP the Budgeting Advance system is being abused, by people taking out as many as 3+ loans a year not for genuine need but just to get extra money. Although you can get Budgeting Loans and have as many of them as you can afford, so it's hypocritical.
  • JBS2022
    JBS2022 Scope Member Posts: 2,074 Championing
    edited January 2023
    Well as many as your loan limit allows you to have. Definately don't have to prove what you spend money on. Mind you an online system would make that difficult I guess.
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    JBS2022 said:
    Well as many as your loan limit allows you to have. Definately don't have to prove what you spend money on. Mind you an online system would make that difficult I guess.
    The online budgeting loan application doesn’t even ask what the money is for. The paper application did ask for those details. 

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