Budgeting Advance

If you claim Universal Credit and need extra money before your next Universal Credit payment you may be eligible for a Budgeting Advance.

A Budgeting Advance is a loan that you must pay back. You usually pay it back over 24 months through regular deductions from your monthly Universal Credit payments.

If you stop claiming Universal Credit you will still have to repay your Budgeting Advance. You will get a letter from DWP Debt Management telling you what your repayment options are.

If you are struggling to repay your Budgeting Advance you may be able to change the amount of your repayments. Speak to your work coach, write a note in your online journal or call the Universal Credit helpline if you are struggling with your repayments.

If you’re in debt and need advice Citizens Advice may be able to help. There are also lots of resources on dealing with debt and money on Citizens Advice website.

You may be eligible for a Budgeting Advance if:

• You are waiting for your first Universal Credit payment
• Your circumstances have changed
• You need help with job expenses
• You have an unexpected one-off cost

Getting an advance on your first Universal Credit payment

It usually takes around 5 weeks to receive your first Universal Credit payment. If you need money to buy essentials and pay your bills before your first payment comes through, you can apply for an advance payment.

The amount you can get depends on your circumstances. The most you can get is an estimate of what your first Universal Credit payment will be – this is based on the information you provided in your application.

You must have verified your identity before you can get an advance payment.

To apply for an advance on your first payment you can:

• Write a message in your online Universal Credit journal
• Ask your Jobcentre work coach
• Call the Universal Credit helpline

You will need to explain why you need an advance payment and may have to provide information about any money or savings you have.

In most cases you will get a decision about an advance payment the same day.

Getting an advance if your circumstances have changed

If your circumstances change you may be eligible for an advance if the change means that you are entitled to more Universal Credit.

You may be entitled to a change of circumstances advance, if, for example:

• You have a child
• You’ve lost your job or had a reduction in wages
• Your rent is increasing

You can apply as soon as you’ve reported the change of circumstances. However, you will only be eligible if you have not yet received your higher Universal Credit payment.

To apply for a change of circumstances advance you can:

• Write a message in your online Universal Credit journal
• Ask your Jobcentre work coach
• Call the Universal Credit helpline

Getting an advance to help with job expenses

If you are starting work you may be eligible for an advance to help with any expenses related to getting the new job such as:

• Travel expenses to get to an interview
• Interview clothing
• The cost of uniform or equipment
• Paying for childcare before your first wage

You will need to show that you need to money to get or start a job and that you cannot afford to pay the expense yourself.

To apply for an advance to help with job expenses you can:

• Write a message in your online Universal Credit journal
• Ask your Jobcentre work coach
• Call the Universal Credit helpline

Please note that you may be eligible for help with upfront childcare costs through the flexible support fund instead of through an advance. Unlike an advance, you do not have to pay back money from the flexible support fund for upfront childcare costs. You should ask your work coach about the flexible support fund to see if you are eligible before applying for an advance.

If you’re working you may be eligible for ongoing help with up to 85% of your childcare costs through the childcare costs element of Universal Credit.

If you have any children aged between 9 months and 4 years old you may also be eligible for some free childcare. There are different free childcare schemes in England, Scotland and Wales.

Getting a Budgeting Advance for an unexpected one-off cost

You may be eligible for a Budgeting Advance to help with an unexpected one-off cost if you have been getting Universal Credit for at least 6 months (if you were moved to Universal Credit directly from a legacy benefit time spent on the legacy benefit counts towards the 6 months).

You must also have earned less than £2,600 in the past 6 months if you’re single or £3,600 between you if you’re part of a couple.

You can get a Budgeting Advance for things like:

• Furniture
• Household appliances (e.g. washing machine, fridge freezer, vacuum cleaner)
• Clothing and footwear
• Home repairs or security
• Funeral expenses
• A tenancy deposit or removal costs, if you’re moving home

You may also be eligible for help with a tenancy deposit through your local council’s Discretionary Housing Payment scheme (Crisis and Resilience Fund from 1 April 2026). You do not have to pay back help received from your local council for a tenancy deposit so it is worth checking if you can get help from your council before applying for a Budgeting Advance.

You cannot get a Budgeting Advance for ongoing costs such as food, bills and regular rent. You also cannot get a Budgeting Advance to pay off debts.

The smallest Budgeting Advance you can get is £100.

The maximum Budgeting Advance you can get depends on your circumstances. You can get up to:

• £348 if you’re single
• £464 if you’re part of a couple
• £812 if you have children

To apply for a Budgeting Advance to help with an unexpected one-off cost you can:

• Write a message in your online Universal Credit journal
• Ask your Jobcentre work coach
• Call the Universal Credit helpline

This advice applies in England, Wales and Scotland. If you live in another part of the UK, the law may differ. Please call our helpline for more details. If you are in Northern Ireland you can visit the Labour Relations Agency or call their helpline Workplace Information Service on 03300 555 300.

If you have further questions and would like to contact our advice team please use our advice contact form below or call us

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