UC Flexible Support Fund?

tomtom256

Dotty12 wrote: »

Ahh thats annoying. Not flexible enough for me

Selling items is not an option for me either, I don't have anything valuable that I don't need.

Supporting me with £250ish to get me into employment and off the UC system for good is surely way better value for the taxpayer than my continued claim.

You may be able to get a change of circs/budgeting advance, but you would have to declare the job in order to get this.

huckster

Change of circumstances advance relates to extra costs of living, such as new child being added or moving address with increased housing costs.

No budgeting advance will be made available by advising of a new job. It is an advance available to those with earnings below a certain level, to help them pay for such things as white goods, emergency costs, costs of moving home.

I am not sure an advance becomes available if a change of address to a foreign address is advised. I suspect if such a change was advised, it would be flagged up for claim closure, with nothing further paid.

[Deleted User]

Have a clear out and get listing on eBay.

Surely if your wanting to move abroad your not taking every item round the house with you?

Dotty12

huckster wrote: »

No budgeting advance will be made available by advising of a new job. It is an advance available to those with earnings below a certain level, to help them pay for such things as white goods, emergency costs, costs of moving home.

Actually, this is not correct. I have previously received a UC Budgeting Advance for literally that; "advising of a new job" and me requesting the loan. I did it on the phone and was in my account 2 hours later.

Just goes to show the whole thing is a complete lottery and there is no consistency with the DWP. Maybe if I'd telephoned 5 mins earlier and spoke to a different person my request would have been denied.

I would put my life savings on the fact multiple claimants have probably been given money from the flexible support fund for the purpose of working/moving abroad. It literally just depends on who you see/speak to at the Jobcentre :rotfl:

tomtom256

huckster wrote: »

Change of circumstances advance relates to extra costs of living, such as new child being added or moving address with increased housing costs.

No budgeting advance will be made available by advising of a new job. It is an advance available to those with earnings below a certain level, to help them pay for such things as white goods, emergency costs, costs of moving home.

I am not sure an advance becomes available if a change of address to a foreign address is advised. I suspect if such a change was advised, it would be flagged up for claim closure, with nothing further paid.

You are thinking of legacy benefits. Under UC you can get these for certain things i.e. starting work. However only the service centre can do these.

huckster

tomtom256 wrote: »

You are thinking of legacy benefits. Under UC you can get these for certain things i.e. starting work. However only the service centre can do these.

Not thinking of legacy benefits.

Under UC rules, if you have earnings below £2600 as a single claimant (more for a couple) for 6 months, you might be eligible for a budgeting advance. But you can only have 1 budgeting advance at a time.

It is not a result of getting a job that the budgeting advance became available for the OP. The budgeting advance option was already on the claim.

Dotty. Ask the Job Centre about a flexi payment. It is a discretionary payment, based on helping someone receive training or help them in other ways to get a job in the UK. Tell them, it is related to helping you get a job abroad and I don't think you will get a positive response.

calcotti

JobCentre now instructed to consider using Flexible Support Fund to pay childcare costs upfront where this would be a barrier to taking up work
https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2019-02-19/223238/

Dotty12

huckster wrote: »

Dotty. Ask the Job Centre about a flexi payment. It is a discretionary payment, based on helping someone receive training or help them in other ways to get a job in the UK. Tell them, it is related to helping you get a job abroad and I don't think you will get a positive response.

Ok thanks. A flexi payment is a different scheme to the Flexible Support Fund?


You are probably right but like I said there is so much inconsistency with the Jobcentre/DWP up and down the country. It would only take the right adviser on the right day in the right jobcentre, and they'd award you the money even if it was for abroad or not.

Who knows, they might be so desperate to get you "off the books" they'll do it.

So yeah I'd probably say its possible, but unlikely.

huckster

Any flexible support payment is unlikely to be cash anyway. It would be payment to a provider of training etc. Or there would be a invoice/receipt detailing the help you received and then you would be reimbursed.

If you are wanting to go abroad, then think of other sources. Can you be sponsored by a charity, that offers help in these situations. Depends on what job you are going abroad to do and your age.