Universal Credit Flexible Support Fund – how you can get help with travel and childcare costs
VULNERABLE Brits struggling to land a job due to financial hardship might be entitled to extra cash via the Flexible Support Fund.
The money comes to you on top of other benefits and can be used to cover essential everyday costs.
Households can use the boost for things such as childcare, uniforms, or work tools as long as they are used to help you get a job.
The Flexible Support Fund (FSF) launched 12 years ago but not much is known about it as it's only supposed to be issued if all other help has been exhausted.
But that doesn't mean you aren't entitled to help through the fund.
We've done some digging around so that you can find out whether you're eligible for extra support.
What is the Flexible Support Fund and what can I use it for?
The FSF is a sum of money that has been put aside by the Government to help you with the costs of getting a job.
The fund is managed by local job centres.
It was introduced in 2011 and replaced schemes such as the Deprived Areas Fund, the Adviser Discretion Fund and the Travel to Interview Scheme.
The idea behind the payout is to give job centres more freedom to offer support to individual cases in local areas.
The money can be used to cover the costs of:
- Training for a job, up to £150
- Travel to interviews
- Childcare
- Tools for work
- Cost of medical evidence required by a disabled person
- Clothing and uniforms to start work
- Support for single parents in financial emergencies in the first 26 weeks of starting a job.
If you've already paid for the items, such as a suit for work or upfront childcare costs, then you are unlikely to be awarded FSF as back pay.
How much will I get and do I have to pay it back?
There no set maximum amount that can be awarded and it will vary from case to case.
Unlike an Advance Payment, the money you receive is a grant rather than a loan, so you will not have to pay it back.
You can choose to either be paid in cash or have it directly transferred into your bank account.
What to do if you have problems claiming Universal Credit
IF you're experiencing trouble applying for your Universal Credit, or the payments just don't cover costs, here are your options:
Apply for an advance - Claimants are able to get some cash within five days rather than waiting weeks for their first payment. But it's a loan which means the repayments will be automatically deducted from your future Universal Credit pay out.
Alternative Payment Arrangements - If you're falling behind on rent, you or your landlord may be able to apply for an APA which will get your payment sent directly to your landlord. You might also be able to change your payments to get them more frequently, or you can split the payments if you're part of a couple.
Budgeting Advance - You may be able to get help from the government to help with emergency household costs of up to £348 if you're single, £464 if you're part of a couple or £812 if you have children. These are only in cases like your cooker breaking down or for help getting a job. You'll have to repay the advance through your regular Universal Credit payments. You'll still have to repay the loan, even if you stop claiming for Universal Credit.
Cut your Council Tax - You might be able to get a discount on your Council Tax or be entitled to Discretionary Housing Payments if your payments aren't enough to cover your rent.
Foodbanks - If you're really hard up and struggling to buy food and toiletries, you can find your local foodbank who will provide you with help for free. You can find your nearest one on the
Once you've received the money, you'll have 14 days to provide the job centre with receipts for any goods and services that you paid for using the grant.
You can receive the fund more than once, but the second application will be subjected to more rigorous checks to prove that the money really will help you get a job.
Who can get one?
The fund is available to anyone who receives help from the job centre, from the moment that you start a claim.
You're not eligible for the extra cash if you're already getting help from the Work Programme, Work Choice or any legacy benefits that provide the same support.
You may also be entitled to the payout if you're on certain benefits, such as Carer's Allowance, but you'll need to check this with the Jobcentre.
How can I apply?
If you feel that you may be able to get help from the FSF, then you should contact your local Jobcentre.
Unfortunately, claimants don't have an automatic right to receive the help as it's up to the discretion of the adviser.
Before issuing the cash, advisers will need to see evidence that you really can't pay for the items yourself.
You will also need to tell them specifically what you will be spending the cash on.
The adviser will also need to get approval from a colleague, who will also check through the evidence that you've provided.
If you can't provide enough evidence for your meeting, you'll be advised to contact Universal Credit when you do.
Why haven't I heard about it before?
The government says it's up to local job centres to publicise the fund but a number of organisations, including the Social Security Advisory Committee, have raised concerns that not enough people know about it.
The Sun also previously exclusively revealed that the fund had been slashed by £11million in just three years.
There isn't a dedicated page on the government's website either which makes it even harder to find out about.
You can find more information on the fund on the website, a charity that helps those living in poverty, on , and at your local job centre.