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. If you are in Northern Ireland you can visit the Labour Relations Agency or call their helpline Workplace Information Service on 03300 555 300.
Our helpline and online contact form is now closed as we wind down our operations. Our free legal advice pages remain available and up to date until further notice. You can find a list of trusted organisations that may be able to help you below.
| Organisation and link to website | Area of Advice | Telephone |
|---|---|---|
| Employment Rights | ||
| ACAS | Acas gives employees and employers free, impartial advice on workplace rights, rules and best practice. We also offer training and help to resolve disputes. | 0300 123 1100 |
| Citizens Advice (England & Wales) | Citizens Advice is a charity which provides free, confidential, and independent advice on employment, legal, financial, housing, and consumer problems | 0808 223 1133 |
| Citizens Advice (Scotland) | Citizens Advice is a charity which provides free, confidential, and independent advice on employment, legal, financial, housing, and consumer problems | 0800 028 1456 |
| Maternity Action | Maternity and Parental Rights at Work and Benefits for Families & NHS charges for maternity care | 0808 801 0488 |
| Pregnant Then Screwed | HR Advice Line – for questions on employment rights, flexible working, parental leave or workplace discrimination | 0300 222 5799 |
| Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS) | The helpline advises and assists individuals on issues relating to equality and human rights, across England, Scotland and Wales. | 0808 800 0082 |
| Trade Union | If you are a union member, contact your union for support. If not, you may wish to join, but check whether support is available for existing issues. | |
| Health and Safety Executive (HSE) | Guidance on workplace health and safety rights and accepts reports of serious workplace health and safety concerns. | |
| Advicenow | Provides free legal information, guides, self-help tools and training to help people deal with legal issues and understand their rights. | |
| Protect | Provides advice and support to people raising concerns about whistleblowing | 020 3117 2520 |
| Zero Hours Justice | Offers information and support on the rights of workers on zero-hours and insecure contracts | 01904 900 151 |
| Legal Advice and Representation | ||
| Law Centres Network | Law Centres work within their communities to defend the legal rights of local people. You can use their website to find your local Law Centre. | |
| LawWorks | The LawWorks Clinics Network provides free initial advice to individuals on various areas of law including employment law, social welfare law, housing matters, consumer disputes, debt and welfare rights. | |
| Advocate | Advocate is a charity that finds free legal assistance from volunteer barristers | |
| South West London Law Centres | Provides free, independent legal advice to people who cannot afford a lawyer, including advice on employment, housing, debt, immigration issues. | 020 8767 2777 |
| Employment Tribunal Litigants in Person Support Scheme (ELIPS) | ELIPS provides pro bono assistance to unrepresented litigants. It currently covers London Central, Cardiff, Bristol, Midlands (West), Newcastle, Leeds and Manchester Employment Tribunals. | |
| Legal Aid Check your eligibility for Legal Aid online | Legal Aid funding is only available for employment cases involving discrimination. | |
| YESS Law | Employment law advice and support, including settlement agreements. Yess Law do not represent clients in Employment Tribunal Proceedings | 020 3701 7530 |
| The Free Representation Unit (FRU) | The Free Representation Unit (FRU) is a charity that provides legal advice, case preparation and advocacy in employment & social security tribunal cases if you have a hearing date at a tribunal in London and the South East and your case is referred by a referral agency | |
| Employment Tribunal Customer Contact Centre | Provides information about the Employment Tribunal process but does not offer legal advice. | 0300 123 1024 |
| Appoint a solicitor The Law Society provides information on finding a solicitor. | If you are able to afford to do this, you can instruct a solicitor who is an expert in maternity and family friendly rights. A good solicitor will give you honest advice about the strengths and weaknesses of your case, the likely costs and s/he should try to resolve your case as soon as possible and so keep the costs you have to pay to a minimum. | |
| Disability Law Service | Provide free legal advice on community care, employment, housing, discrimination, public law and welfare benefits to disabled people and their carers | 0207 791 9800 |
| Child Law Advice | Provided by Coram Children’s Legal Centre, advice for Litigants in person | |
| Rights of Women | Women’s voluntary organisation committed to informing, educating and empowering women concerning their legal rights | 020 7251 6577 |
| Benefits and Financial Support | ||
| Citizens Advice (England & Wales) | Citizens Advice is a charity which provides free, confidential, and independent advice on employment, legal, financial, housing, and consumer problems | 0808 223 1133 |
| Citizens Advice (Scotland) | Citizens Advice is a charity which provides free, confidential, and independent advice on employment, legal, financial, housing, and consumer problems | 0800 028 1456 |
| Advice Local | Your local guide to help with employment and work issues, benefits, money, housing problems and more | |
| Age UK | Provide free, confidential advice, practical support, and companionship | 0800 678 1602 |
| Carer’s UK | Provide advice on benefits, rights, and emotional and peer support. | 0808 808 7777 |
| Scope | Offers information, advice and support for disabled people and their families, including guidance on benefits, work and independent living. | 0808 800 3333 |
| NRPF Network | Provides guidance and resources on no recourse to public funds (NRPF) and support options for people affected by immigration-related benefit restrictions. | 0800 169 0283 |
| Maternity Allowance helpline (DWP) | Maternity Allowance is a government benefit for pregnant women or new mothers who do not qualify for Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) from their employer. | |
| HMRC Statutory Payment Dispute Team | Resolves disputes about entitlement to statutory payments, including maternity, paternity, adoption, shared parental, parental bereavement and neonatal care pay. | |
| Pregnancy, Maternity and Baby Support | ||
| Maternity Action | Maternity and Parental Rights at Work and Benefits for Families & NHS charges for maternity care | 0808 801 0488 |
| Tommy’s | Provide advice and support to parents-to-be, expectant parents, and families who have experienced baby loss | 0800 0147 800 |
| Bliss | Support and information for families of premature and sick babies, including emotional support, neonatal care guidance | |
| Twins Trust | Offers support, information and peer support for families with twins, triplets and multiple births | 0800 138 0509 |
| Sands | Sands works to support anyone affected by the death of a baby | 0808 164 3332 |
| Best Start in Life | Advice and support for your child’s development | |
| Mental Health and Wellbeing | ||
| Mind | Mind empower individuals experiencing mental health problems through advice and support | 0300 102 1234 |
| Maternal Mental Health Alliance | Charity and network of 160 organisations, dedicated to ensuring women and birthing people affected by perinatal mental health problems have access to high-quality, compassionate care | |
| Pandas | Pandas offer hope, empathy and support for every parent, carer or network affected by Perinatal Mental Illness | |
| Samaritans | Provide emotional support to anyone in distress, struggling to cope, or at risk of suicide | 116 123 |
| Domestic Abuse | ||
| Women’s Aid | Offers support, information and signposting for women and children experiencing domestic abuse | |
| Support for single parent families | ||
| Gingerbread | Offers advice and information support for single parents on work, benefits, finances and family issues. | |
| One Parent Families Scotland | Provides advice and support to single parents in Scotland including benefits, money and health and wellbeing. | 0808 801 0323 |
| Disability | ||
| Contact | For families with disabled children | 0808 808 3555 |
| Carer’s support | ||
| Carer’s UK | Provide advice on benefits, rights, and emotional and peer support. | 0808 808 7777 |
| Childcare | ||
| Childcare Service Helpline | Contact HMRC if you need help applying for Tax-Free Childcare, applying for free childcare if you’re working or using your online childcare account. | 0300 123 4097 |
| Best Start | Provide information on all available childcare support | |
| Coram – Family Information Service | Provide a tool to search for contact details for your local Family Information Service who can provide advice and support on childcare in your area |
The information on the law contained on this site is provided free of charge and does not, and is not intended to, amount to legal advice to any person on a specific case or matter. If you are not a solicitor, you are advised to obtain specific legal advice about your case or matter and not to rely solely on this information. Law and guidance is changing regularly in this area.
We cannot provide advice on employment rights in Northern Ireland as the law is different. You can visit the Labour Relations Agency or call their helpline Workplace Information Service on 03300 555 300.