Form SF500 Budgeting Loans From the Social Fund - United Kingdom

Budgeting Loan Form Instructions

The first part of the document ("Guidelines") provides the applicant with information on how to fill out Form SF500 along with the requirements for individuals who want to receive budget loans, information about the amounts that applicants can receive, and other instructions. Personal information required on Form SF500 includes the following:

1. Information About the Individual. The applicant is supposed to use this section of the document to designate their personal information (their name, national insurance number, date of birth, and contact details) and information about their partner.
2. Information About the Individual's Children . The applicant is required to provide information about the child (under 16 years old) or young person (under 19 years old) for whom the benefits are requested. They must state how many children or qualifying young people are in their household and if they receive a child tax credit or child benefit for them. If they do, they must report how much they get per week.
3. Loan Details . In this part of the claim, the applicant must state the total amount of the loan they are applying for. Since budgeting loans can only cover specific expenses, the applicant must indicate how they plan to spend them. They must choose from the options provided by the form; these include "furniture and household equipment," "clothing and footwear," "traveling expenses within the United Kingdom," "maternity expenses," etc.
4. Benefits and Entitlements. Any kind of financial support, allowances, entitlements, or other benefits must be listed in this part of the form.

The remaining parts of the form require the applicant to report information about their savings, banking details, any money they have to pay out regularly, and other financial and personal details.

Where Do I Send My Budgeting Loan Form?

After the applicant has completed Form SF500, they are supposed to take it to the nearest job center or post it in an enclosed envelope to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) using one of their Freepost addresses. The Freepost address should be chosen in accordance with the area where the applicant lives. Applicants do not need to use a postcode or a stamp when posting the claim to the DWP using the Freepost address. The full list of addresses can be found on the official website of the government of the United Kingdom.

Applicants can apply for budgeting loans online. If they do, they can choose to receive the decision on their loan by email, text message, or letter. Applying online and getting the result via email (or text message) is quicker, but requires a working internet connection.