Rent in Advance Crisis loans
Rent in advance applications from the Social Fund can be classed as Crisis loans, or Budgeting Loans depending on how quickly you will need to move and secure a new property and are awarded to help people to secure a property when there is a present risk to their health and safety, or when they have nowhere to live.
Rent in advance can be applied for either in writing using the form SF401 ( in our downloads and resources section) or you can apply over the telephone for an immediate decision.
You are not able to apply and be awarded help Rent in advance when moving into a new house or flat that is owned or managed by the Local Authority, so you must have a private landlord OR housing association offer.
Once you have identified a property, you should approach the landlord and agree on terms of the tenancy by way of obtaining a tenancy agreement, this should show not only the address of the new house or flat but also the name of the landlord or housing association that you are planning to rent from.
Valid Tenancy agreements have clear details of the terms of the tenancy, including monthly rants and period of the lease, if your landlord has not yet provided you with one you can get one here DOWNLOAD TENNANCY AGREEMENT .
Your tennenacy agreement will need to be very clear in distinguishing between RENT IN ADVANCE and in a Deposit, as deposits ARE NOT covered by the social fund and will not be awarded, however in some cases you can get help with this from your Local Authority, if you are claiming housing benefit, it would be a good idea to enquire about help with a deposit if needed at this time.
Rent in advance crisis loans have the same limits as other Crisis loans so you can only apply for a maximum of £1500, however this amount will be less if you already have a debt with the social found for any other type of loan.
Loading ...
{ 144 comments… read them below or add one }
← Previous Comments
I am working with a lady who has 3 children under 5 and is currently homeless. We cant apply for the local authority rent and deposit scheme due to there being £2000 worth of rechargable repairs and rent arrears on her previous properties (due to an abusive ex-partner) so is she likely to be granted a crisis loan from the social fund for rent in advance. Her situation is pretty dire, and the local authority are not offering any help. Any advise would be great.
Do we find a house first through a private rental and then make the application?
Hi,
It sounds as though your client should apply for a rent in advance crisis loan, if she is on benefits, and has not already got substantial debt with the social fund then she stands a good chance at being accepted.
Things to be mindful of.
£1500.00 is the maximum allowabe debt
You will NEVER be awarded a bond, or admin fees
You may need to provide a tennancy agreement ( therefore finding the property first is a must)
You can apply in writing anytime
You can apply over the phone ~48 hours before you are due to start your tennancy.
Hope that helps
i have 7 weeks until my baby is due and have found a property but need 1st months rent in advance before i can move in £580 would i be entitled to a rent in advance loan as i am living out of a bedroom at my mums house and have no space for me and my baby?
If you are on benefits, and the move is to overt a risk to your health and safety.
Hi, I’d like some crisis loan advice please. I am going to be made homeless on Friday 18th May but I’ve found somewhere to live, and I will be moving in on Thursday 17th. However, I cannot afford the rent in advance of £425. My part-time job gets me around £550 a month, however I’m not due to be paid until mid-June. The deposit is not an issue, but if I don’t get the rent in advance, then I shall be unable to move into the property and will be homeless the next day. Am I eligible for a crisis loan?
Also, I keep being told to apply in writing but I need the money urgently. What do I do?
If your emergancy is in 48 hours or less then they have to do it over the phone.
YOu can call any time today for a crisis loan, if you had called before today they would have asked for you to fill out a paper application.
Hi,
My husband (ex husband) currently a serving soldier has decided to leave me and our 3 children, 5, 4 and 14 months, as we live in army quarters i will have to move out, i want to move back home to cornwall (currently in north england) i have found a private landlord who will except houseing benefits (i will have to claim this untill im back on my feet and find a job) i have begged stealed and borrowed money for letting agents fees and deposit but will i be able to claim for a crisis loan of £650, iveput in my claim for income support just waiting for them to action. Would i also be able to get help with removal costs?
sorry for 101 questions all very new to me havent a cluse what im doing:-(
thanks Nikki
Hey Nikki, Sorry for the late reply- you can deffinately apply for help, and it is probable that you will get a crisis loan for rent in advance due to your circs. Apply over the phone 48 hours before moving ( or in writing at least 2 weeks before moving)
Thank you. Yes I have been awarded HB and they were very quick but that doesn’t get paid into my account until 1 June which does not help me now. I requested a backdate and sent an email in response to their extra questions but they said a decision cannot be made for 10-15 days. I called Crisis Loans and was refused and they virtually slammed the phone on me. Actually at my wits end now. I have run out of all options and can’t believe that for one month’s rent, I could be homeless after nearly 40 yrs of paying taxes, NI etc
What area do you live in? some local councils do offer help.
Hi. I need urgent advice. I am have my JSA interview tomorrow (they messed up texting invite to my original interview on 3rd May) and I am receiving HB from 1st June with £150 shortfall for the first month then full rent from July onwards. This is paid in arrears but my rent is always 4wks in advance. So, June’s benefit will take care of June and soforth until I’m back in work. Therefore, I do not have my rent which is due to leave my account tomorrow (£775) HB can’t help as I need to complete a backdateed application which will take a while to process and they may not approve it. I have exhausted every avenue of trying to borrow from my friends, bank etc (I have no family who can help) but with all the best will in the world my friends can’t free up that amount. My landlord took last month’s rent from my deposit when I ran into difficulties but said he will be using April to May as notice if my rent isn’t paid on time this month and I will have to leave. I should have applied earlier for benefits but I was promised a great freelance job for 3 months and was kept hanging before it fell through so I am applying for PA roles but its really tough out there. I have been reading about crisis loans on the Direct Gov website. Does anyone think I would be able to receive a loan to pay my rent otherwise I lose my home which I love and have lived in for 3 years and even my landlord said I have been his best tenant. He does not know I am on HB as he made it clear he wouldn’t be happy with this. I have no savings, £30 in my purse and I live alone. I am really desperate but wanted to know if I should phone the CL dept or speak to job centre tomorrow at my interview and fill out the form. (I don’t have a printer at home). I could be a few days late paying into my landlord’s account but I’m homeless if I don’t pay at all. Please could someone give me their thoughts? Thank you.
Shelly,
sorry to hear about the mess that your in…
The Social fund will not pay rent arrears, HOWEVER as you have just made a claim to benefit, you may get a crisis loan as an alignment to benefit ( basically money to see you through until your JSA is sorted) This money is only for food, gas and electric- however you can spend it on what you want once granted.
Give them a call today on 0800 0327952 and say…” I would like to apply for an alignment to benefit” don’t mention the £30 that you have… and explain that you have no food etc until JSA is sorted. They should award you a loan to help you get through.
Thank you for quick reply. So they wouldn’t help with paying rent which is due now? Technically I’m up to date with rent as the landlord said I can pay the deposit he used for April in instalments but his main concern is getting May’s rent paid. Basically, if I don’t have the rent in full by next week at the latest, then I have no home. If I ask for an alignment to benefit, I’m guessing this will not be enough to cover my rent? I’m in debt to gas, electric etc but have been in touch with everyone but this will all be redundant if I have no home. Really feel I have nowhere to turn, My friends can help with £150 shortfall next month but just can’t help me pay rent for May. It’s just this one month’s rent that is the problem yet I feel I going to lose everything because of it, then I will have top go back to Ealing Housing for help. Seems like a catch 22.
Hi Shelly,
You are correct, in that, they will not pay rent that is already due, and also that they will not award you enough to cover the rent if you applied for an alignment. Have you applied for housing benefit DIRECTLY ( i.e filled out a 30 page HB form) or have you just asked that it is applied for with JSA? if the latter, then you will have to wait as the HB section just take the info given to JSA to build your claim once the JSA is sorted.
However if you apply DIRECTLY for HB, then they do not have to wait for JSA and MAY be quicker in making your award, and thus paying your rent.
But what if you have already applied for It also you accepted the term and condition after all that some one passes away so what do I do then if I have to travel
Then I would suggest that you bank the cheque before you go and then use it on your return to get accommodation.
I wanted to know, if I get a crisis loan check for rent in advance and member of family pass away abroad and means me traveling away for couple of months , how long can the cheaque be hold before it can be cheaqued?
Giros should have a 3 month maximum limit, however if you take the rent in advance loan, then leave the UK it could make it much more difficult to get help in the future.
If you don’t NEED the crisis loan now, don’t apply for it.
I have just phoned the Crisis Loan number. After waiting 45 mins I was told I could not apply until 14/05/12. My new tenancy starts on the 14th! I need to have the rent in advance before I can have the keys. What can I do? I have a draft tenancy agreement with all the required landlords details. The lady who I spoke to from Dundee contact centre took my phone number and said she would call back on Monday morning. When I spoke with another advisor on Tuesday she told me to call back on Thursday. What info is correct? The stress is making me ill. If I dont have the advance rent I will lose the property.
Hi, we would suggest that you call back today/tomorrow and insist on them taking your application.
You can make a paper application whenever you want, HOWEVER a telephone crisis Loan can only be taken 48 hours before you move.
As the guidance does not say “48 working hours” some decision makers count the weekend, meaning that if you move on a Monday you have to apply on a monday as the office is closed on a saturday and sunday.
BUT as you can’t apply on a weekend, they should take your application on a Thursday/Friday – there is no law that gives them the right to refuse to take your application, so such we suggest that you call back today or tomorrow and insist on your application being taken ( they may turn you down at first, but ask for a review of the decision).
Thank you so much for your advice yesterday. I have just finished a telephone application which was successful. Social Fund have awarded me £495 for 1 month rent in advance. I originally called first thing this morning at 8am and was asked to call back so they could contact the letting agent. After waiting approx 30 mins spoke with John from the Grimsby office who was very, very helpful. Got an appointment at the jobcentre to collect the giro at 2pm.
My advice to everybody would be just to keep trying as I have been trying to sort this out since Tuesday, even though I work part time. To all the ladies, I seemed to have had better luck speaking with the male advisors if that helps at all.
Hi there,
ok, where to begin? I’ve recently broken up with my partner and have been registered as homeless.
Ive been put on the council housing list but need a place soon and have been looking at renting a flat. There is a site for help with deposits(In Fife) that I looked at and was wondering if applying for a advance on rent loan would affect housing benefit (I know you have to pay the first months rent first before housing benefit comes into action, so second month should be payed)?
Also I will be living off benefits alone due to being a single mum with an 8 month old son, would this affect repayments?
How hard is it to get a rent in advance loan? and would you know if there is anyone in my area to help deal with it?
Hi Leanne,
it sounds like you should have no problem getting a loan- find a property then call the 0800 number to apply
Hi. On Monday I have to pay the deposit and rent in advance to lettings agent so I can pick up the keys to a flat and move in. If I don’t then both myself and my 6 month old baby are homeless. I called last Monday to ask about a loan but was told to call up the day before. Called on Friday but it was at 4.15 and this was too late for them to do anything, even though lines were open till 6! I see their point about payment times etc but still annoying. Anyway, asked lettings agent for landlord’s details but they wouldn’t give me them as everything is getting done through them at request of landlord. Also won’t have a copy of tenancy agreement till I actually go to sign it on Monday. Am I likely to be awarded it? It’s £650 and I managed to save the admin and deposit on my own. If awarded would I be given the money on Monday if I phoned up first thing? Thanks
They may well turn you down on your first application – HOWEVER – the LAWa is on your side, and even if you don’t have all the details, they SHOULD take your word for it. If not then ask for a review and the IRS will pay you.
hi there
i am living in private acomadation have been here 3 years now with my 7 year old daughter
the house has awful damp problems the landlord has put demidafyers in the property but has not helped
i have found a new private acomadation but they are asking for a month in advance and a bond but being a single mum on benifits i dont have this money laying about , i have read thro previous coments and says to contact social fund but my rent at the moment is being paid to my landlord for the house we live in now so how can i get a month in advance for a new house wen rent is still being paid for this house ? help please !!
Hello,
I assume that you mean that your rent is being covered by housing benefit? – this is totally separate form a Crisis Loan and has very little baring
Hi I’m in a critical crisis. I am currently on tag curfew and have been made homeless, as my younger brother has left prison, it has somewhat affected he’s behaviour, now I’m known to be silent wothin the family, and I tend to be getting provoked from both brothers because they have a gangsters image. I have been attacked, my posessions have been wreckrd and my things go missing frequently. It has driven me mad and the family always tell me to leave it out even when I tell them, so it doesn’t get me in trouble. I’m not violent and my brothers think ithey have the upperhand because of this. I have been homeless for 4days now sleeping in cars and roadsides please advise me if there’s any help I can receive.. Many thanks
Hiya, you can apply for rent in advance, do this over the phone once you have found a place
Hi,
I applied for a crisis loan for rent in advance last week but my form has not been received. I have been asked to leave due to rent arrears and am due to move out before 3rd May.
I have managed to find another property £110 pm cheaper than the one i am in now. I need to pay the rent in advance by thurs and sign agreement if i am to get the house. I have 2 children age 4 &6yrs, I have type 1 diabetes & am in receipt of dla.
I attempted to apply for a crisis loan today. The first call was over 9mins and the guy was extremelly rude, he said he didnt believe me then went on to cut me off and not ring me back as he stated he would do if we got cut off. Next phone call i spent 39mins on phone, went through whole application then the advisor could not get through to the landlord so she said i would have to start again. I asked why she could not save application and ring landlord later but she said she could not.
Third time i phoned i got half way through and advisor refused to carry on without a landline no. for landlord. That was another 15min on phone.
I then phone a fourth time and i was refused an application and told he could not do it i would have to go to job centre who more than likely be familiar with landlord and pay him direct if successful??? I telephoned Job centre which is in next town and a bus ride away and was told i would have t0 go at 2pm.
I went off to job centre at 2pm and was told they would not take my application without a copy of tenancy agreement. I went and got it and returned only to be informed they couldn’t do it and i would have to phone freephone number again.
Feeling very frustrated, stressed and under pressure and also on verge of losing the property i called crisis loans and was told i could not apply as the application i completed on the morning had been turned down so i would have to ask for a reconsideration??!! I explained it wasn’t turned down and that the lady could not get in touch with landlord and i was again accused of lying and told to go t job centre and ask for reconsideration which would take up to 2 days.
Please can anyone help and give me some advice as i am under so much pressure and feel so ill because of it and now it looks like we are going to be homeless and i wont even get a chance at the crisis loan
Jo
it sounds like you have had a very rough time- If you were actually refused last time, then you will need to ask for a reconsideration of the original decision- however there is no point of law requiring you to have a tenancy agreement- this is just “fluff” to turn you down.
Apply for the recon, and if they turn you down go to the IRS and they WILL award you the loan.
Hi, I have found a flat for myself and my 15 month daughter. We currently live in my mums but have been asked to leave by the end of April. I have the deposit paid already and as soon as I get my rent in advance I can move in. I am on income support at the moment.
Will I be awarded the crisis loan fir the rent in advance? As I will technically be homeless as of 1st may. Also, if I am awarded, how long will it take? Can I apply over the phone? I really need it by may 1st, but I don’t think I will get it that soon.
You can apply ofver the phone for rent in advance ( dispite them telling some people otherwise) you can either apply in writing ( this takes 2 weeks +) or you can wait till 48 working hours before you are due to move and then call and have the application taken over the phone.
I am looking for some advice. My children and I have been living in privately rented accomodation since June 2011. There are have been numerous repair issues from the day I moved in, which my landlord has failed to address. I have nails protruding from walls, a hole in my living room wall which had housed the previous occupants (who was my landlords daughter) TV but due to removal now has very sharp edges, I have carpet gripper protruding through carpets, the garden is full of large broken furniture items and these have sharpe edges and corners. Despite numerous requests my landlord has failed to rectify any of these. In October the boiler broke leaving us with no heating or hot water supply again despite repeated requests my landlord has failed to rectify the problem to date. I have contacted a solicitor who has also tried to get him to rectify the issues but to no avail. Due to the boiler leaking water the garden is also flooded and therefore to get in/out of my house we have to walk through about 3 inches of water.
I have now managed to secure far more suitable accomodation for us (with a letting agency well known in our town and with a good reputation) and I have paid the deposit with help from my Mum and Dad. I am due to collect the keys on Monday 30th April at 9am but in order to get these I will have to pay one months rent in advance, which is £550. I am currently on JSA after being made redundant in January and cannot afford this. I have applied for housing benefit and although there is a shortfall of about £100 a month I plan on using the money I recieve from maintance payments to make up the difference. My current landlord has refused to give me a copy of my tenancy agreement and therefore I have been unable to get housing benefit and really struggled to pay the £500 a month rent each month therefore have regularly borrowed from others to be able to do this. Eventually I exhausted the people i could borrow from and I have now missed 3 months rent payments. I have been told by my solicitor that my landlordemailed her and has informed her that he sent a notice to quit on Friday 20th April giving me 2 weeks to vacate the property.
Would I qualify for a crisis loan for rent in advance under these circumstances? How and when is best to apply for this? Would I have to start paying it back immediately or do you get sometime before repayments are collected? I’m sorry this is so long but I wanted you to have an accurate picture of my situation so I get the best possible advice (I am new to the benefits system and I am not really aware of what you are and aren’t entitled to) Please respond as I really am stressing that my children and I may end up homeless.
You could apply for a Rent in Advance crisis loan, and in principal you should be fine.
But you would have a better chance if you could supply the following:
A copy of your section 21 eviction letter
A copy of your new tenancy agreement
A copy of your receipt for the Deposit.
Also changing your address with your Benefits section would also support your crisis loan application.
As you are due to move on 30/4/12 if you call to apply before ~26/4/12 they may ask you to apply in writing, so its best to leave it till 27/4/12 if you can, but call FIRST THING in the morning and keep calling until you get through, and your application is taken.
MY CLAIM HAS BEEN SUSPENDED FOR 6 WEEKS AND i NEED TO MOVE ADDRESS CAN i STILL CLAIM HOUSING BENIFIT
Michael, you can apply for Housing Benefit even when you claim is suspend, however you will need to apply directly with your council and fill out a full application
Daren, apply for a community care grant too. The worse they can say is no and I’m sure in your circumstances they’d give you something to help with getting furniture for your daughter. Good luck.
Hi i am currently in the process of splitting form wife of 15yrs, i am currently on ESA and get the support component aswell.. I have found a flat for me and my oldest daughter who does not get on with her mother and is coming to live with me, now my problem is i have a friend who can borrow me the bond but i still have the advance rent to obtain, i was wondering can i claim this at the same as a budgeting loan as i need to refurbish the property at the same time as my partner wants me out asap.. so to make it simple what is the best way to claim the advance rent and claim for help in setting up a new home, any help you could give would be great thanx..
In theroy you can apply for both at the same time- however make sure that the Crisis Loan+ Budgeting loan + your outstanding debt ( if you have any with the social fund) is less than £1500.
Nope not ccg. It’s some sort of secret fund the local council have or something. I had to apply thought the social work department and according to welfare rights I stand a good chance of getting it with it being the beginning of the financial year.
Thanks Viv,
It’s always good to know that there are other possible avenues to help people out with.
Hi thanks for replying. I got in touch with my local welfare rights office, they didn’t know anything about crisis loans being available for rent in advance, they told me to apply for a discretionary housing payment so I did that today. Fingers crossed. The £850 is a months rent as its a 4 bedroom house. The lha rate for a beds here is £180 a week so I’ll have to make up £16 a week for the rent but that us perfectly doable as I don’t drink or smoke
good luck everyone. x
Hi Viv,
And thanks for taking the time to get back to us
Very strange that welfare rights don’t know about rent in advance payments? there Tonnes of stuff about it on the DWP site, and a brand new application that can be found at http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/sf401r-print.pdf ..
Anyhow, all the best with your move and good luck with your housing payment (we presume they mean a ccg)??
I need money to move house so desperately, I live in a top floor maisonette with my partner and 6 month son, im 14 weeks pregnant and find the stairs a killer when I pushing my son up and down them when hes in a pram, my partner is currently looking for work so cant be with us all the time. My neighbours are dredful too, drugs, fighting, thieving and harrasment constantly happening around me and my family. I dont live anywhere near my family which is hard. Wer on benefits, Do you think budgeting loan will help me? Please?
Hello,
You may be able to apply for a rent in advance crisis loan, if you could show that you were either homeless, or faced a risk to your health and safety at home maybe a good idea?
hi, would be able to apply for c/l for rent in advance if i have an 11 year old girl and a 5 year old boy in a 2 bedroom flat??
Hi Clare,
Are you claiming benefits? in principle you can apply for rent in advance as a crisis loan, based on the need to move to a bigger place, you will need to find a property first though- and possibly ask your council about a paper bond too
yes im claiming income support and have found a 3 bed house but need 550 rent 550 bond and 225 admin fees but the only problem is i have arrears from a previous tenancy.
Im thinking that the rent arrears will stop me getting help with the bond from the council and also stop me from getting the flat when they do the checks.
Hi Clare,
The social fund will not pay a bond, or admin fees so you will have to find £775 BEFORE you apply for the rent in advance. Some councils will provide whats called a paper bond, however if you are in arrears with them you may have trouble getting this.
can i apply for rent in advance if i have exceeded the limit of 3 cl in 12 mths i needs to move out of my current property cos my friend has passed away and it was here house i needs £550
Hi Tracy,
Crisis loans over the phone are limited to 3 in 12 months unfortunately, unless you apply for an alignment.
Hi. I’m a single mum of 4 and were living in a house that is overcrowded. I’ve found a bigger house and if I can get the cash together I sign the lease on the 16th. My parents are helping me out with the deposit and I can’t get a budgeting loan because I haven’t been on income support for 26 weeks as I was previously on maternity allowance. I need £850 for rent in advance for a 4 bedroom property, what are my chances of being accepted for a crisis loan, will they decline me because I’m not homeless?
Hi Viv,
you should be OK to be awarded a loan as long as your debt is not too high, and you can show that your move is necessary to prevent a risk to your health and safety.
however £850seems a lot?- there is a limit. generally they will assume your first months rent to be the same as all the other months, and will heck how much housing benefit will pay. If housing benefit will only pay £500/month then you will always have a £350 shortfall, and this is not an amount that you can realistically afford ( if on benefits) so they may turn you down and suggest you find a property that you can afford.
would i be able to get rent in advance i need it to secure the house its a joint claim me and my partner he ows for chrisist loans will that affect me ? am pregnant and really need help for the rent in advanced
Hi, my girlfreind made a application for a £500 crisis loan to cover 1 months rent in advanced. She was refused one on the basis that noone could get hold of the landlord to confirm that we needed it for what she said we needed it for. Is there anything we can do to change their decission. Thanx
I have appliyed for a Hostel rent advance form i have filled out all the correct information and sent a copy of the landlords details pictures everything that you would asked for i haven’t asked for a loan would i be accepted to this loan as i got to be out ASAP !
It is not usual to award rent in advance loans for hostels…
Hi i am moving next friday and have applied for a budgeting loan ( as i have no furniture for new home as this house i rent is furnished ) .. i have been accepted and i await it going into my bank .. i also have applied for rent in advance as i have 2 pay my rent on the address i live in now on fri and also the new address .. i sent this in the same time as i sent in the budgeting loan .. and i have rang up only to be told they have not looked at it yet > and it can take up to 10 days ?? …
could someone give me guidance please .
thanks lianne
Hi,
I have to move out of my property on the o5/04/12.(Landlord is seling) I am a single parent on JSA. I need to pay my rent in advance on the 5th otherwise I will not get the keys to move in. When should I call for a Crisis loan? On the 4th? Taking into account that 6th is a Good Friday. What are the chances I will be awarded a crisis loan? (I do not have any previous loans)
thanks
Meggy
Hi Meggy,
Apply on the 3rd, but be sure to remind the person that you are speaking to about good friday- so they can waive the 48 hour guideline.
I am up my limit on my crisis loan and I am looking to find somewhere to live as I am currently homeless, and been sleeping from one friends sofa to another. I applied for Housing benefit on the 20th February but most places ask for rent in advance and I don’t know where and how I will be able to get a loan for rent in advance.
Any help would be much appreciated of how I go about things. Thanks
Mark,
even though you are pest your limit, you can still apply for a Crisis Loan. Make you application in the usual way, then when refused ask for it to be converted to a Community Care grant.
Hi I called and the lady said she was a manager, she said that I’d come through to the wrong dept and i need to do a paper application I explained that this was an emergency. She eventually decided she would go through with the application but saod it would be refused. I went ahead any way and she said that it had been declined due to the amount of my rent been 450 and me been by myself. Is this correct and what can I do now? I have always been polite on the phone on all occasions . Thanks
Hi Chloe,
Ok we’re getting somewhere now…
They are all management grade- so she was correct, however she has no more right/power than any other decision maker, so do let that put you off.
The “rule” that she has used is to argue that you would not get housing benefit at £450 PCM as s single person, therefore the loan/property was untenable- however this is NOT covered in legislation specifically.
This tactic is at the descretion of the decision maker and usually enforced when they cant find a valid direction to refuse you under.
Next step:
Go to the Jobcentre with a letter asking for a review on the grounds that you are applying for a crisis loan NOT housing benefit, and in any case your situation may change in a months time, meaning that you can afford the rent, so a crisis loan should not be refused on the basis of future situations/affordability today.
( they may argue that you can’t afford the rent today hence the decision, but hope that they miss that one)
After you have asked for a review in the letter, ask the if it is refused that you would like your review sent to the Indipendant review service.
The whole process should take 48 hours – but we think you have a very good chance of winning against such a flimsy refusal.
Hi again, I took your advice, thank you very much for that. I took a letter into the job centre on Friday at approx 4pm, I haven’t heard anything back yet. When should I expect to and If I don’t what should I do? Thanks
Every time I call and explain the situation they hang up on me! I’ve got my tenancy agreement etc and need help asap I seem to be getting no where and will be made homeless if I can’t get this sorted thanks
When you call ask for the name and location of the person that you are speaking to once you have passed security- they are then less likely to hang up as they will be traceable.
Keep your cool, any swearing/shouting will be noted on the system and each time you call it will be more likely that your fobbed off if their is a Hystory of people thinking that your being abusive..
← Previous Comments