Emergency grants / loans for friend in a mess with Universal Credit

[Dauphinois]

Due to various reasons a friend has had to start her Universal Credit application again and for the time being has no income at all, except child benefit. No savings either and no access to credit. Bank account now overdrawn.

So we're looking for other sources of funding to tide her over until UC comes in. She is a single parent with a young child. Child's Dad is being chased by CMS but currently hadn't paying.

We've done:

Food bank vouchers

Council welfare scheme, who have offered emergency top ups for prepaid meters, and also a food voucher as child is registered for fsm.

Local charity have offered small grant( not repayable)

Citizens advice and job centre are both working on UC claim.

Homeless team at council are dealing with rent arrears with housing association.

She's spoken to other debtors, ie phone bill, to try and delay direct debits with varying success.

She's applying for jobs and is doing a small amount of cash in hand cleaning for the time being.

Are there any charities or sources of funding that we've missed? We're in the midlands. Keeping her car on the road is a priority as we're rural.

Thanks.

Have you tried turn2us? I work with helping people apply for grants and this is alway my first place to go. You add all the details and it will bring up grants that can be applied for.

Hope she gets sorted.

Yes @NCFORLEG I found the local charity through them, but I will take another look and see if there's anything else. Thanks.

Also try local Rotary Clubs maybe? Although that involves a bit more work pulling together letters etc. And maybe a little more specific to items.

Some local councils also offer grants.

Is there a Credit Union in the area?

Have you tried the Relief in Need charity? There are local branches all over the country.

Hmmm, we don't seem to have a Credit Union or a Relief in Need in our area - we are pretty rural.

I'll look into the Lions though, thanks for the ideas.

Rotary I meant, but I remembered the Lions too!

She can get an advance of UC. She'll need to pay it back, but she needn't be struggling.

@wowfudge thanks for that. Do you know how early in the process you can apply for the advance? Presumably they need to approve her application first??

Not sure, but she needs to tell them she's no money and is overdrawn. She can ring them - the number is free to call.

I would think that if she has provided what she needs to, they can establish she's entitled to UC. The loan will ride her over until her first UC payment.

Tide not ride

You can get an advance from day 1? It's also sent immediately

Just call the UC service centre and request an initial advance for the full amount (usually a full month's worth which is then reclaimed via instalments from each monthly UC amount).

You can have up to £500 ish in advance of your first uc payment but it is deducted off your monthly payment.

Her first application was turned down though as she couldn't prove her eligibility for UC ( she's originally from overseas and failed the habitual residence test.)

She's now got settled status so that should sort out the habitual residency aspect, but until UC have agreed she's eligible, they won't give her an advance, surely? She's got an appt at the Job Centre next week for the habitual residency part.

Sorry for dripfeed...

Right - got some more info. Once she's provided her ID proof she can get an advance. She needs to make sure she provides everything she's asked to - so take her passport and whatever else to the appointment. You can apply online and an advance is paid same day provided her ID can be verified. The amount of the advance will vary depending on circumstances.

@wowfudge Thank you so much for that info. I'll make sure she takes along all her ID and other relevant info, and make sure she pushes for an immediate payment.

Thank you so much - wish us luck!

She’s lucky in one way to have such an amazing friend.
I pray she gets everything sorted. Although I can’t add more advice than has already been given and you’re both doing everything you can.

This universal credit shit has bought nothing but heart ache and anxiety. It should be called universal dredit.

Have you tried local children’s centres? They often have community family workers and have access to food bank vouchers.

Someone in my family has just been put over onto universal credit, it's horrendous!

She should be able to get an advance once they've accepted her claim, not sure how much it will be, but it's something at least.

Are there still community care grants? I'm in Scotland and know there are but I don't know about elsewhere in the UK, that's what SIL and BIL were told to apply for from the Scottish Welfare Fund. Hopefully there's an equivalent where your friend is.

UC is a barbaric policy, badly planned and even more badly executed.

Been on UC 2 years. Normally once she has verified her id she will be eligible for 100% advance.