Will I get a Crisis Loan

theo468

OK guys, basically on Saturday I lost my wallet on the bus (I think). I have struggled to make it through the weekend and will be calling for a Crisis loan as soon as possible, my question is will I get a crisis loan seeing as I have no cash and I have no other way to get funds, and will I get my full amount or will they lower it for whatever reason?
Just so we're clear I was able to check the bus when it came back around and I have phoned the Bus Company and asked them if anyone handed in a wallet and to keep an eye out.

Any information would be grand, I am rather nervous as this is my first time applying for a crisis loan.

Thanks

HappyMJ

theo468 wrote: »

OK guys, basically on Saturday I lost my wallet on the bus (I think). I have struggled to make it through the weekend and will be calling for a Crisis loan as soon as possible, my question is will I get a crisis loan seeing as I have no cash and I have no other way to get funds, and will I get my full amount or will they lower it for whatever reason?
Just so we're clear I was able to check the bus when it came back around and I have phoned the Bus Company and asked them if anyone handed in a wallet and to keep an eye out.

Any information would be grand, I am rather nervous as this is my first time applying for a crisis loan.

Thanks

Possibly, a crisis loan will be credited to your bank account so you will still need proof of ID to present to the bank to be able to draw on your account without your bank card.

A crisis loan for living expenses isn't much and may not even be approved...could you borrow some money from friends/family to tide you over until your next benefit payment is due.

theo468

I've already asked my mother and my friends. My mother is on benefits like me and my friends all have debt and children to pay for, sadly my last resort is a crisis loan.

HappyMJ

theo468 wrote: »

I've already asked my mother and my friends. My mother is on benefits like me and my friends all have debt and children to pay for, sadly my last resort is a crisis loan.

Do you live with your mother? What do you need the money for? If you need food have you thought about trying a food bank (the jobcentre will probably refer you there anyway)? If you have a bill due then negotiate the repayment date for a future date.

theo468

Yes I live with my mother but because we are on benefits I pay her £40 a fortnight to rent my room and to cover electricity and gas I am then left with £60 to get my own food for two weeks. We don't have access to food banks up here which I find stupid.

HappyMJ

theo468 wrote: »

Yes I live with my mother but because we are on benefits I pay her £40 a fortnight to rent my room and to cover electricity and gas I am then left with £60 to get my own food for two weeks. We don't have access to food banks up here which I find stupid.

When is your next benefit payment due? They will only give you a maximum of 60% of your personal allowance for the remaining days in the period...so if your next payment of £112.50 (£56.25 a week) is due in 7 days you could get £33.75. Food should cost less than £30 a week. You can eat for much less than that. They will ask you how much food you have in the cupboard. I don't want to put you off applying but they do ask for a lot of details for what really is a small amount of money. Once you get the money you will need to repay it at a rate of 12% of your weekly benefit payment...i.e at £13.50 a fortnight until fully repaid.

theo468

Officially it will be a fortnight today but because of the bank system I get paid on a Saturday, also thank you for your advice regardless.

sammyjammy

As has already been said you may get a Crisis loan, as you live with a parent then it seems unlikely - your mother will not see you starve surely! It won't be anything like the amonth you get fortnightly.

For future reference it might be mroe sensible to transfer the money to your mother throguh your bank account nad take out money as you need it/use your debit card if you have one rather than withdraw all your cash at once.

Another thought, wouldn't it be cheaper for you and your mother to pool resources food wise, its almost as cheap to feed two as it is one!

sunshinemax

It wil depend on whether or not the decision maker accepts that you have actually lost your wallet on the evidence provided. And if you are a non-tenancy holder you would only receive up to 30% of your benefit rate NOT 60%.

dreamylittledream

What's that you say - a lost wallet, on pay day, on the bus?

Living with mum who is also on benefits and no-one else in the world can help and mummy dear will allow her poor son to starve if a crisis loan can't help?

My my its almost like a round of crisis loan bingo all in one application - what a cracking debut. Still these things can happen...

FWIW the OP will probabaly have got paid if it was his first application - but 13 days at the >25 non householder rate gives a max award of £31.46 so I suspect he may not have found the whole experience worth his while.

missapril75

sammyjammy wrote: »

as you live with a parent then it seems unlikely

That would be the usual answer but where parents themselves are on benefits a C/L would be more likely.

dreamylittledream wrote: »

What's that you say - a lost wallet, on pay day, on the bus?

It's uncanny the number of "lost money" applications social fund staff receive just after payday (nobody ever needs just a tenner to get them through a couple of days ) or whose freezer packs up after the whole benefit payment was spent on food that went off after five minutes.

For a first time lost wallet applicant, they may succeed. But I bet the C/L staff check their records to see if mum has done it and is passing on tips.