What are crisis loans for?

Bloodheart

Okay, stupid question time again...

I am unemployed, can barely afford to eat or pay rent right now, and my bed is seriously broken...so much so that it's causing medical problems; lack of sleep, back and neck problems, and headaches (I suffer life-threatening attacks, which can be triggered by neck strain and headaches, as well as sleeping problems). Obviously I can't afford a bed.

Is there any possible way of using crisis loan to help?

I remember trying to get a crisis loan when I first lost my job and the bank took all my benefits so I had no money for two weeks...they refused this as they said it didn't cover food or rent (if ever there's an emergency!). I also know it doesn't cover phone so you can apply for work, or clothes and travel so you can attend a job - stuck between rock and hard place, ay? So I'm guessing their strict, but then saying that I know more than enough charvers who get crisis loans to spend on larger, so it can't be that strict can it?

Obviously there are situations of serious crisis that this does cover, but when unemployed can you actually get a crisis loan?

Is it just down to advisor discretion?
Is there any point in my even trying, or will I just look like an idiot if I ask for a crisis loan for this reason? Any other ideas?

I mean I have NO MONEY to spare, so I cannot get from charity shops or save up, and there's no way at all for me to get credit.

dmg24

Do you receive JSA?

missmontana

You can apply for a Crisis Loan if all the following apply:
you're aged 16 or over
you don't have enough money to meet your (or your family's) immediate short term needs in an emergency or as the result of a disaster
without the loan there will be serious damage or risk to your (or your family's) health or safety
or if you're aged 16 or over and you've:
been getting a Community Care Grant but you're moving out of institutional or residential accommodation and don't have enough money to pay advance rent to a non-local authority landlord

How much do you get?
There is no set amount of Crisis Loan. The amount you may be able to borrow will depend on:
your individual circumstances
any savings you have
whether or not you have borrowed from the Social Fund before
How you will be paid
Jobcentre Plus will normally give you a cheque in your name. You can cash it at a post office or pay it into an account.
How do you repay it?
If you qualify for a Crisis Loan you'll need to agree how you are going to pay it back.
An adviser at your Jobcentre Plus office will talk you through it and agree a repayment plan with you that you can afford. If you're on benefit, the loan is normally repaid out of your normal benefit payments.
You don't have to pay interest on a Crisis Loan, which means you only repay the amount you borrowed.

absent_dad

Crisis loans are as they say for people in a crisis, now this is subjective in that what you deem to be a crisis, I or they may not. For example not having a fridge is not necessary unless you need a fridge to keep your medication cold (made up situation there). Now to some people in the benefits deparment having a bed is not necessary, you can sleep on the floor or on the sofa...But to you it can be life threatening so it could be considered a crisis.

If you can show this, ie a doctor to confirm this, show the bed that you need and how much it costs, they will consider it.

A crisis loan is not the only loan the social fund do, budgeting loan is the best one to aim for, this broadly speaking is for the larger things you have to buy like beds, fridges etc that are not a crisis but things you would like to make your life easier. It is an interest free loan which is deducted at source, ie taken directly out of your benefit.

Ask for the forms from the jobcentre and if you are having trouble filling them in, pop down the CAB who will be more than happy to help and advise more.

Hope this helps

scooby088

I'd say you can get a crisis loan from what you have said.

tinktinktinkerbell

you might get one for a bed if its causing you medical problems, you WILL get money for food, whoever said you cant have any for food they lied, me and my bf had two crisis loans (one £40 and one £50) and we said we needed it for food and toiletries, say you have no food in the house at all, have no money at all and have no one you can borrow any money off

they wont pay your phone/internet bill but they will pay gas/electric if you are about to be cut off

paulofessex

Check the notice boards at your local library or chat with your local CAB your area may have a 'Home Start' 'Diamond Task Force' type of organisation who provides furniture for those on low incomes. Some charge very little i.e. £5 and some provide it free with a referral from some agenices. No, its not always used furniture.

seven-day-weekend

Would it help if you put your mattress on the floor to sleep on if you can't get a crisir loan?

dreamylittledream

Bloodheart wrote: »

Okay, stupid question time again...

I am unemployed, can barely afford to eat or pay rent right now, and my bed is seriously broken...so much so that it's causing medical problems; lack of sleep, back and neck problems, and headaches (I suffer life-threatening attacks, which can be triggered by neck strain and headaches, as well as sleeping problems). Obviously I can't afford a bed.

Is there any possible way of using crisis loan to help?

I remember trying to get a crisis loan when I first lost my job and the bank took all my benefits so I had no money for two weeks...they refused this as they said it didn't cover food or rent (if ever there's an emergency!). I also know it doesn't cover phone so you can apply for work, or clothes and travel so you can attend a job - stuck between rock and hard place, ay? So I'm guessing their strict, but then saying that I know more than enough charvers who get crisis loans to spend on larger, so it can't be that strict can it?

Obviously there are situations of serious crisis that this does cover, but when unemployed can you actually get a crisis loan?

Is it just down to advisor discretion?
Is there any point in my even trying, or will I just look like an idiot if I ask for a crisis loan for this reason? Any other ideas?

I mean I have NO MONEY to spare, so I cannot get from charity shops or save up, and there's no way at all for me to get credit.

How exactly has the bed broken? Beds do not normally fall apart without some intervening event. If the base broken - if so there is no risk to health or safety by sleeping just on a mattress.

If the mattress and the base is old and worn out - how long has it been that way exactly? Has it just worn out?

If so then the fact that the bed is old and worn is not really an unforseeable event - it happenes eventually. This is a forseeable event - everyone knows that household items eventually wear out and need replacing.

This can be forseen and budgeted for - its not an emergency.

For a crisis loan to be paid there has to be a serious risk to health or safety caused by an emergency, disaster or unforseen event. A bed wearing out does not meet this criteria.

Crisis loans are paid for beds, but normally where someone doesn't have a bed at all (perhaps where a homeless person moving into unfurnished accomodation for example).

So yes you are probably wasting your time applying for a crisis loan for bed from the circumstances you have presented so far.

dreamylittledream

tinktinktinkerbell wrote: »

you might get one for a bed if its causing you medical problems, you WILL get money for food, whoever said you cant have any for food they lied, me and my bf had two crisis loans (one £40 and one £50) and we said we needed it for food and toiletries, say you have no food in the house at all, have no money at all and have no one you can borrow any money off

they wont pay your phone/internet bill but they will pay gas/electric if you are about to be cut off

Crisis loans are paid for food (living expenses) if you have no money, no food and no way of getting any from anywhere else - providing it is the consequence of an emergency (hence the vast number of alleged lost wallets occuring throughout the benefit claiming community).

Gas and electric bills are never paid - there are always other means of paying bills - installation of key meters, direct deduction from benefits for example. Being cut off only occurrs if you make no effort to deal with the electric/gas board.

Credit for gas and electric meters are paid on crisis loans however.

tinktinktinkerbell

dreamylittledream wrote: »

Crisis loans are paid for food (living expenses) if you have no money, no food and no way of getting any from anywhere else - providing it is the consequence of an emergency (hence the vast number of alleged lost wallets occuring throughout the benefit claiming community).

Gas and electric bills are never paid - there are always other means of paying bills - installation of key meters, direct deduction from benefits for example. Being cut off only occurrs if you make no effort to deal with the electric/gas board.

Credit for gas and electric meters are paid on crisis loans however.

we got told our electric would be paid if we were going to be cut off