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Help with Universal Credit advance!

I'm not supposed to get any UC money till the 7th of July but the woman said I could get an advance. She said if I don't get a job until the 7th then that advance money that I get will not have to be paid back. 

I have been researching it myself now and it sounds to me like the woman wasn't very clear and that I will in fact have to pay this money back no matter what?

Or if I take this advance will I still receive money on the 7th of July and it just means that I could immediately pay back the advance as long as I haven't spent it all and any outstanding money to be paid back will be taken from the money I receive on the 7th?

Sorry for the confusion but the Job Centre weren't very clear and because it's technically a loan I am very skeptical about taking it even though I have £20 in the bank to last me a month!  :#

Comments

  • calcotti
    calcotti Posts: 15,696 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 10 June 2022 at 1:10PM
    Jobseeker69 said: She said if I don't get a job until the 7th then that advance money that I get will not have to be paid back. 
    Completely wrong. If you take an advance you do have to pay it back (interest free). It will normally be collected by deduction from future UC payments over a maximum of 24 months. If UC stops before the advance is paid back then you will still owe the balance to DWP and will have to make other arrangements to pay.
    Jobseeker69 said:
     it sounds to me .. that I will in fact have to pay this money back no matter what?
    Correct.
    Information I post is for England unless otherwise stated. Some rules may be different in other parts of UK.
  • calcotti said:
    If UC stops before the advance is paid back then you will still owe the balance to DWP and will have to make other arrangements to pay.
    So I should just click on the option to pay it back over 24 months?

    I'm assuming once I get a job I can just immediately pay back the full amount instead of having to drag it out over 24 months?
  • calcotti
    calcotti Posts: 15,696 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Jobseeker69 said: I'm assuming once I get a job I can just immediately pay back the full amount instead of having to drag it out over 24 months?
    If your UC entitlement ends, yes.
    Information I post is for England unless otherwise stated. Some rules may be different in other parts of UK.
  • tifo
    tifo Posts: 2,177 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    It used to have to be paid back in 12 months unless it's changed to 24.
  • poppy12345
    poppy12345 Posts: 18,976 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    tifo said:
    It used to have to be paid back in 12 months unless it's changed to 24.

    It's 24 months now, if you applied for an advance after 12th April 2021. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/universal-credit-advances#cost-of-repayments

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