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Crisis Loans
This information is intended to be a brief general
guide only. It should help you understand about crisis loans, but should not be
treated as a full statement of law.
Key features of the scheme are included, but not the full text of the
law or the Secretary of State's directions or guidance.
All applications have precise legal tests applied to
them. You can find the Secretary of State's directions and guidance in the
Social Fund Guide which you can access via the
DWP website.
The following questions are
answered on this page you can quickly access them by pressing the appropriate
question:
What are crisis
loans?
Loans for
things that are needed urgently in an emergency or as a consequence of a
disaster when no other help is available. They are interest free loans. They
have to be paid back.
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How do I
apply for a crisis loan?
You apply in different ways depending on what you are applying
for:
- For urgent living
expenses, such as an application for food or fuel, call Jobcentre Plus on
0800 0327952. This number is free from many landline and mobile phone
companies. You can also apply by textphone 0800 032 7958. Applications may also
be made in writing. You can obtain form
SF401 from the Jobcentre Plus
national social fund enquiry line 0845 6036967 (local rate call), or textphone
0800 032 7958, Jobcentre Plus offices or you can download a form from the
Directgov website. You may
wish to take the completed form to your local Jobcentre Plus office and ask
them to fax it to the relevant Benefit Centre.
- For items,
apply on the same form as community care grants. Complete form SF300, available
from the Jobcentre Plus national social fund enquiry line 0845 6036967 (local
rate call), or textphone 0800 032 7958, Jobcentre Plus offices or you can
download a Community Care Grant form from the Directgov website. You should
send the completed form to your local Jobcentre Plus office.
- For urgent
rent-in-advance applicationsyou apply in the same way as urgent living
expense requests. Call 0800 0327952, which is free from many landline and
mobile phone companies. You can also apply by textphone 0800 032
7958.
- For other
rent-in-advance applicationscomplete form
SF401R, available from the
Jobcentre Plus national social fund enquiry line 0845 6036967 (local rate call)
or textphone 0845 6088553, Jobcentre Plus offices or you can download a form
from the
Directgov website. Send the
application to RSCE-EAT5-AHAK, FREEPOST, Wembley BDC, PO Box 110, London, SW95
9EA. You may wish to take the completed form to your local Jobcentre Plus
office and ask them to fax it to the relevant Benefit Centre.
Jobcentre Plus
will tell you their decision in writing, even if you have been given a decision
verbally. If you are unhappy with this decision you can ask a Reviewing Officer
in Jobcentre Plus to look at it again. If, following the Reviewing Officer's
decision you are still unhappy, you can apply for an independent
IRS
review.
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Who can
get a crisis loan?
When
you make your application, you must be aged 16 or over; and without sufficient
resources to meet the immediate short-term needs of yourself, your family, or
both you and your family.
There
is an additional test for living expenses needed in an emergency. Generally,
you can only have 3 crisis loan living expense payments within a 12 month
period. More than 3 awards can be made in some circumstances, including
preventing hardship pending a payment of benefit or because you have started
work but have not had your wages. This extra test does not apply if living
expenses are needed because of a disaster, or because of something outside your
control.
There is no requirement
for you to be in receipt of a benefit to apply for or to receive a crisis loan.
Some people have limited access
to a Crisis Loan. This includes:
- someone who is
subject to a benefit sanction or disallowance; and
- someone who is
classed as a person from abroad for benefit purposes
A crisis loan
must always be the only means of preventing serious damage or serious risk to
the health or safety to you or your family.
If you are applying for living expenses, rent in advance, charges for
board and lodge, travel if you are stranded away from home, or emergency fuel
credit, these expenses can be awarded if the crisis loan is needed either in an
emergency or as a consequence of a disaster.
A Crisis Loan for all other items (or services) such
as beds, cookers, heaters or clothing, can only be awarded if these expenses
are needed as a consequence of a disaster.
The amount of existing social fund debt you have may affect the
decision. No one can owe more than £1,500 to the Social Fund.
The Decision Maker will also
examine whether you are likely to be able to repay an award.
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How much can a crisis loan be
awarded for?
There is a
maximum amount that can be paid for living expenses. This amount will vary
depending on:
- your individual
circumstances, including the number and age of people in your
household;
- your
savings;
- your outstanding
Social Fund loans.
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