Finance Support

Universal Credit Contingency Fund - short-term living expenses grant

Help if you need money after making a new claim for Universal Credit … read more

Discretionary Support self-isolation grant

Help if you need money while self-isolating due to COVID-19 … read more

Discretionary Support

Help if you need money for short-term living expenses or household items … read more

Short-Term Benefit Advance

Help if you need money after making a new claim to benefit other than Universal Credit … read more

Social Fund Budgeting Loan

Help if you need money for essential household items such as furniture, clothing or footwear … read more

Social Fund Sure Start Maternity Grant

Help if you need money towards the cost of maternity and baby items … read more

More information

Video relay service

The video relay service (VRS) is a facility which allows people who use sign language to communicate by video, on a device such as a laptop, PC, mobile phone or tablet through a British Sign Language (BSL) or Irish Sign Language (ISL) interpreter.

check that you can use the BSL video relay service
check that you can use the ISL video relay service
contact Finance Support Service via the video relay service
the interpreter will check whether you require BSL or ISL

Contact from DfC

When you claim Discretionary Support, a Short-Term Benefit Advance or a grant from the Universal Credit Contingency Fund the Department for Communities (DfC) may phone you or send you text messages. The sender will always be clearly shown as DfC and they will never ask for personal information or financial details, or to click on a link to provide them.

If you are not sure about whether a text messages is from the Department of Communities (DfC) you should contact the Finance Support Service.

If you suspect you have received a fraudulent message as a scam, contact the Finance Support Service immediately.

You can get further information on scam calls, text messages and emails at: scamwiseni

Finance Support Service contact details

Phone: 0800 587 2750

Lines are open Monday to Friday, 9.00 am to 4.00 pm

The Department for Communities is experiencing a very high volume of calls, so it may take longer than usual to answer your call.

Review or appeal process

You may not have been given all the money you asked for. If this happens, you will get a letter explaining how you can have the decision reviewed.

If you disagree with Finance Support’s decision you can ask for a review by contacting them direct. You can still receive the amount you were awarded while you are waiting for Finance Support to review their decision.

Finance Support cannot reduce the amount you were awarded.

Useful links

Finance Support Videos

What is Finance Support

What is Finance Support - with British Sign Language

What is Finance Support - with Irish Sign Language

How to claim Finance Support

How to claim Finance Support - with British Sign Language

How to claim Finance Support - with Irish Sign Language

Help improve this page - send your feedback

What do you want to do?

report a problem

leave feedback

ask a question

Report a problem

Which problem did you find on this page? (Tick all that apply)

A link, button or video is not working

There is a spelling mistake

Information is missing, outdated or wrong

I can't find what I'm looking for

Another issue

You will not receive a reply. We will consider your feedback to help improve the site.

Don't include any personal or financial information, for example National Insurance, credit card numbers, or phone numbers.

Tell us more about the problem you're having with the nidirect website.

Enter your feedback

What is your question about?

Choose a topic for your question:

What to do next

Comments or queries about angling can be emailed to anglingcorrespondence@daera-ni.gov.uk

If you have a comment or query about benefits, you will need to contact the government department or agency which handles that benefit. Contacts for common benefits are listed below.

Employment and Support Allowance

Call 0800 587 1377

Jobseeker’s Allowance

Contact your local Jobs & Benefits office

Personal Independence Payment

Call 0800 587 0932

If your query is about another benefit, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

Comments or queries about the Blue Badge scheme can be emailed to bluebadges@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk or you can also call 0300 200 7818.

For queries or advice about careers, contact the Careers Service.

For queries or advice about Child Maintenance, contact the Child Maintenance Service.

For queries or advice about claiming compensation due to a road problem, contact DFI Roads claim unit.

If you can’t find the information you’re looking for in the Coronavirus (COVID-19) section, then for queries about:

Restrictions or regulations — contact the Department of Health
Travel advice (including self-isolation) — contact the Department of Health
Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccinations — contact the Department of Health or Public Health Agency

If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk and for queries about your certificate, email covidcertni@hscni.net.

For queries or advice about criminal record checks, email ani@accessni.gov.uk

Application and payment queries can be emailed to ema_ni@slc.co.uk

For queries or advice about employment rights, contact the Labour Relations Agency.

For queries or advice about birth, death, marriage and civil partnership certificates and research, contact the General Register Office Northern Ireland (GRONI) by email gro_nisra@finance-ni.gov.uk

For queries about the High Street Spend Local Scheme, email HSSS.mail@economy-ni.gov.uk.

For queries about:

Car tax, vehicle registration and SORN
contact the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), Swansea
Driver licensing and tests, MOT and vehicle testing
contact the Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA), Northern Ireland

If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk.

For queries or advice about passports, contact HM Passport Office.

For queries or advice about Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs), including parking tickets and bus lane PCNs, email dcu@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk

For queries or advice about pensions, contact the Northern Ireland Pension Centre.

If you wish to report a problem with a road or street you can do so online in this section.

If you wish to check on a problem or fault you have already reported, contact DfI Roads.

For queries or advice about historical, social or cultural records relating to Northern Ireland, use the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) enquiry service.

For queries or advice about rates, email LPSCustomerTeam@lpsni.gov.uk

For queries or advice about 60+ and Senior Citizen SmartPasses (which can be used to get concessionary travel on public transport), contact Smartpass - Translink.

If you have a question about a government service or policy, you should contact the relevant government organisation directly. We don't have access to information about you.

Extra comments (optional)