What is the Crisis and Resilience Fund?

The short version

The Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF) is government money given to councils in England to help people on low incomes through a financial shock, and to build longer-term financial resilience. It runs from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2029 and is overseen by the Department for Work and Pensions, but your local council runs it, so the name, the rules and the application form depend on where you live.

GOV.UK says the help can cover things like energy and water bills, food, essential items and housing costs. Crucially: you do not have to be getting benefits to ask your council for help.

What the fund does

The government guidance for councils sets out four parts:

• Crisis payments. Support for people facing a sudden, unexpected expense or drop in income. Councils are told to take a "cash-first" approach, which means money paid into your account where possible, with vouchers or goods when that suits someone better.
• Housing payments. Help with shortfalls in housing costs. These replaced Discretionary Housing Payments.
• Resilience services. Advice, benefit checks, income maximisation and budgeting support, so the next shock hurts less.
• Community co-ordination. Linking up local support, like food projects, advice services and furniture charities, with proper referral routes.

Crisis payments are support, not loans, so you don't pay them back. Every council has to accept applications all year round, through more than one route, such as online, by phone or face to face.

Who can ask?

Councils decide the detailed rules. In general, the help is aimed at people on a low income, or anyone vulnerable who can't pay for essentials. Your circumstances and resources are looked at. Typical examples might be:

• your wages dropped or a job ended and the next pay or benefit payment is weeks away;
• you've moved into a home with no cooker or bed;
• you can't top up your prepayment meter;
• your rent has a shortfall that housing support doesn't cover.

How to ask your council

1. Find your council's page. GOV.UK has a tool to find cost of living help from your local council. Search for "crisis support" or "local welfare" on your council's website too.

2. Have the basics ready. Usually your address, who lives with you, your income and benefits, and what you need help with. A recent bank statement can help.

3. Explain the crisis plainly. What happened, what you need, and what happens if you don't get it. "My cooker has broken and I have two kids" is clearer than a long story.

4. Ask about the other help too. Because the fund includes resilience services, the council or an advice partner may also check your benefits, help you deal with arrears, or refer you on.

Can't work out where to start? Practise in Help to Claim and crisis support, or start with Help you didn't know existed.

If it's about debt, not just one bill

Crisis help is for a crisis. If the real problem is a pile of arrears, free debt advice gets to the root of it: StepChange 0800 138 1111; National Debtline 0808 808 4000 (England and Wales). Our guide to priority debts explains what to pay first, and the debt help library is free for everyone.

Watch out for Ronnie

Nobody from the council will ask for a fee to process a crisis application, or ask for your bank PIN. If someone offers to "fast-track" a grant for money, it's a scam. Apply direct through your council's own website or phone number.