Short Term Benefit Advance - Can I get a Short Term Benefit Advance?

Short Term Benefit Advances are only available to people waiting for their first benefit payment or waiting to be paid and they are in financial need due to changes in their circumstances. Short Term Benefit Advances are available to these benefits:

• Carer's Allowance
• Income Support
• Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) (income-related or contributory)
• Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) (income-based or contribution-based)
• Pension Credit
• State Pension

You may also get an advance of Universal Credit which is called a Universal Credit Advance. The rules are different for Universal Credit advances.

You cannot get a Short Term Benefit Advance without having claimed a benefit first.

Being in financial need means that if you don't get a Short Term Benefit Advance, there is a serious risk of damage to the health and/or safety of you and/or your family. There is no set list of situations this covers but as an example, not being able to pay for gas or electricity could be a risk to your health.

If you request a Short Term Benefit Advance after making a new benefit claim, the decision maker won't give you an advance unless they believe that you are likely to be awarded the benefit once the claim has been processed.