Apply for a Universal Credit advance or hardship payment
Help with job expenses
If you’re applying for or starting a job, you can get support to pay for expenses like:
- buying a uniform or equipment
- paying for childcare before your first wage
- travelling to an interview
- buying interview clothes
You do not usually need to pay this back.
How to apply
To apply, you can:
- update your journal in your Universal Credit account
- ask your Universal Credit contact at your local jobcentre or your work coach
You’ll need to show that you:
- need the money to get or start a job
- cannot afford to pay for it yourself
If you cannot get help from your Universal Credit contact, you might be able to apply for an advance for unexpected costs.