Short Term Benefit Advance - Can I get a Short Term Benefit Advance?

Short Term Benefit Advances are only available to people who are waiting for their first benefit payment or who are waiting to be paid after a change in their circumstances. They are only given if you are in financial need.

Short Term Benefit Advances are available to these benefits:

• Carer's Allowance
• Contributory/New Style Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Contributory/New Style Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA)
• Pension Credit
• State Pension

You cannot get a Short Term Benefit Advance without having claimed a benefit first.

Being in financial need

Being in financial need means that if you don't get a Short Term Benefit Advance, there is a serious risk of damage to the health and/or safety of you and/or your family.

There isn't a set list of what counts as being in financial need, but one example could be if you can't pay for gas or electricity and that puts your health at risk.

If you request a Short Term Benefit Advance after making a new benefit claim, the decision maker won't give you an advance unless they believe that you're likely to be awarded the benefit once the claim has been processed.

Universal Credit 

If you have applied for Universal Credit, you can apply for a Universal Credit Advance instead.