So: I got my funding.
I am yet to see a penny though.
My university have told me the AHRC failed to send a list of who was owed what with the grant money, as a result despite them receiving the money on 16th September, I am yet to receive a penny. In fact, the cheque (which I'm yet to see) won't have cleared until over a month after this date.
All my University can do is offer me an 'emergency loan' which goes on my record, and understandably I want to avoid!
How long can I reasonably be expected to wait until I see a penny?

It sounds like you've been talking to your University, but have you phoned AHRC? NERC has advisors (one does Universities from A-M, another guy N-Z or something). At the very least it would make them aware of it, and things might move a bit quicker. If you tell them that you have no funds coming in, and you have to pay a flat deposit or something then they really should move a lot quicker you'd hope. Good luck!

Could they not do a direct bank transfer when it's sorted out, instead of a cheque - especially given the circumstances. I used to get cheques (different funding body) and one year it was paid into someone else's account and it took 3 months to get someone to give me my money!! I was beside myself, so i feel your pain. They made a transfer as I'd waited so long but now all the payments are made directly, thank goodness.:-s

Why do you want to avoid an emergency loan? Universities have hundreds of thousands of pounds available in hardship/emergency grants and loans every year and these are never claimed by those in the position to receive them. I had a hardship grant (which I didn't pay back) during my undergraduate degree and an emergency loan at the beginning of my phd when my studentship money had been delayed by months and I crashed my car. As far as I'm aware this makes no difference to your credit rating etc...

Don't be worried about asking for help.

A