Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 29 November to Question 115390, whether people in receipt of (a) income Support, (b) income-related employment and support allowance or (c) income-related jobseeker's allowance who will in future receive universal credit will be permitted to access Social Fund Budgeting Loans.

Claimants who are in receipt of Income Support, income related Employment and Support Allowance and income based Jobseeker’s Allowance can qualify for a Social Fund Budgeting Loans if the satisfy the eligibility conditions. Claimants in receipt of Universal Credit can qualify for a Universal Credit Budgeting Advance which is also a loan that is interest free and for intermittent expenses such as furniture or household equipment.