Income Support

Budgeting Loans

You can apply for a Budgeting Loan to help pay for essential things like rent, furniture, clothes or hire purchase debts. How much you can get depends on whether you are single, part of a couple or have children, and if you:

• can pay the loan back
• have any savings over £1,000 (or £2,000 if you or your partner are over 62)
• already owe money to the Social Fund

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. You must still be getting income-related benefits when your application is assessed. Budgeting Loans won’t affect your other benefits.

You can download a form (SF500) to apply for this loan from GOV.UK or contact Jobcentre Plus on 0345 603 6967