HTML Preview Budget Loan Form page number 1.
Notes sheet
Budgeting Loans
from the Social Fund
Please read these notes carefully. They explain the
circumstances when a budgeting loan can be paid.
Budgeting Loans
l You may be able to get a Budgeting Loan if:
you have been getting Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s
Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance,
Pension Credit or payment on account of one of these benefits or
entitlements for at least 26 weeks
and
l You need help
– to buy furniture or household equipment
– to buy clothing and footwear
– to pay rent in advance and/or removal expenses to secure fresh
accommodation
– to pay for home improvements, maintenance or security
– with travelling, maternity and funeral expenses
– to pay for things to help you look for or start work
– to repay HP or other debts that have been taken out.
We cannot help with any other types of items or services.
Budgeting Loans have to be paid back but they are interest free.
You can have one of three rates of Budgeting Loan. The amount
depends on whether you are single, a couple without children or
qualifying young persons or a one or two parent family with children or
qualifying young persons.
The amount of Budgeting Loan you can have also depends on whether
you have any other budgeting loans from the Social Fund. The amount
of any Budgeting Loan we may pay together with the amount you still
owe the Social Fund cannot be more than £1,500.
Savings
l If you and your partner are aged under 61, savings of more than
£1,000 may affect the amount of money you can get.
l If you or your partner are aged 61 or over, savings of more than
£2,000 may affect the amount of money you can get.
We cannot make a payment for a loan if you already owe £1,500 or
more to the Social Fund.
We cannot pay a Budgeting Loan for expenses of less than £100.
How we decide what we can pay you
The decision maker will look at the relevant circumstances and decide
the maximum size of Budgeting Loan you can have, if you have no
existing Social Fund debt. Whether or not you can have a loan of up to
that amount will depend on if you already have a budgeting loan debt.
SF500 10/13
12-Mar-14