Universal Credit claimants can tap into extra cash to help them get a job.
The cash comes from a little-known pot called the Flexible Support Fund, and is available to anyone claiming certain legacy benefits as well as Carer's Allowance, Pension Credit and Universal Credit.
The fund is designed to help vulnerable people whose financial hardship is stopping them from getting a job, and the cash can be used for such things as childcare, uniforms or work tools.
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The extra cash might come at just the right time for thousands of families as they struggle with the cost of living crisis and is in addition to the support package for millions of households announced by Chancellor Rishi Sunak last month.
However, the money, which is administered by local Jobcentres, is not guaranteed, and is only supposed to be issued as a last resort and if all other funding avenues have been exhausted.
The FSF is a Government fund introduced in 2011 and controlled by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Funding comes from the Government and is given at the discretion of Jobcentre Plus advisors.
The cash awarded to you is a grant so there's no need to repay it and it is different to a Universal Credit loan, which has to be repaid via your benefits. There is no set amount of money you can be given as it depends on your situation, circumstances and needs, although the FSF is unlikely to fund anything you have already paid for.
The FSF is available to anyone who already receives help from the Jobcentre and is claiming one of the below benefits:
- Universal Credit
- Jobseeker's Allowance
- Income Support
- Employment and Support Allowance
- Carer's Allowance
- Pension Credit
To apply for funding, contact your local Jobcentre if you feel you may be eligible. Claimants don't have an automatic right to receive the help and before issuing the cash, advisors will need to see evidence that you really can't pay for the items yourself. You will also need to tell them specifically what you will be spending the cash on.
Your application will be double checked by another advisor, who will also look through the evidence you have provided.
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