Crisis and Resilience Fund

The fund can be used for help with essential costs, including energy and water bills, food, essential items and some housing costs. For crisis support, government guidance tells councils to use a cash-first approach where possible, which means support may be provided as cash, bank transfer or cash-out vouchers rather than only as supermarket or energy vouchers. Councils can still use other formats where that better fits someone’s needs. 

In practice, support can vary by area. Some councils run the fund directly, while others deliver some help through local charities, advice organisations or community groups.

The fund is aimed at low-income households and at people who are vulnerable or unable to pay for essentials. For the crisis-payment part of the fund, support is not limited to people already receiving benefits. Councils have discretion to define low income and detailed eligibility locally, so the exact rules can vary by area. 

If someone does receive benefits, a payment from the Crisis and Resilience Fund does not affect those benefits. 

The fund is delivered through local authorities in England, not through one single national application form. Councils decide how to design their schemes within government guidance, which means there can be differences in eligibility, application process, award type and local priorities. 

Every authority must run a Crisis Payment scheme and a Housing Payment scheme and both must accept applications continuously throughout the year. Councils must also offer at least two application routes for these schemes, such as online, telephone or face-to-face access, so support is not limited to people who can apply digitally. 

From April 2026, the fund’s Housing Payment element replaced Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) in England. Housing Payments are for people who need extra help with housing costs and are entitled to Housing Benefit or Universal Credit with housing costs towards rental liability. 

Housing Payments can help with things like rent deposits, rent in advance, tenancy setup or removal costs, and shortfalls between housing support and actual rent, including some shortfalls linked to the benefit cap or the removal of the spare room subsidy. If someone cannot access a Housing Payment because they are not eligible for that housing strand, the council may still consider help through the fund’s Crisis Payment route if they meet the crisis-support rules.

There is no single national application portal for the Crisis and Resilience Fund. The correct route is to check with your local council, because each authority decides how applications are handled and what evidence it asks for. GOV.UK’s public guidance says councils may differ in who can apply, how support is given and how often households can receive help. 

A good practical rule for visitors is:

• use the Crisis Payment route if you need help with essentials such as food, energy, water or other urgent costs

• use the Housing Payment route if the problem is a rent shortfall or another eligible housing-cost issue and you receive Housing Benefit or the housing element of Universal Credit

The fund matters because it is not only about emergency payments. Government guidance sets three aims: providing effective crisis support, improving financial resilience and strengthening the local support network so people can be referred to the right help more easily. That means the fund is designed both to meet immediate need and to reduce the risk of repeated crisis. 

In plain English, that means the fund can help people deal with a sudden hit now while also connecting them to local services that may help them stabilise things over time. 

Find your local council

Get help with the cost of living from your local council

Crisis and Resilience Fund: guidance for local authorities in England

Full Crisis and Resilience Fund guidance

Those are the core government pages for this fund and for checking where people should apply.