Crisis Resilience Fund

Crisis means a time that is very difficult or dangerous.

Resilience means being able to cope with a difficult or stressful time.

A fund is a pot of money.

The Crisis Resilience Fund is money to help people with a difficult or stressful time.

The Crisis Resilience Fund is money that Councils can use to help people.

The Crisis Resilience Fund is money from the Government .

The Government gives money to local Councils in England.

Each Council decides how they will use the money to help people in their area.

The Government has said they will give Crisis Resilience Fund money to Councils to help people from 1 April 2026 until 31 March 2029.

The Crisis Resilience Fund is for people who are finding it hard to pay for things they need like:

• energy or water bills
• food
• clothes
• furniture.

The Crisis Resilience Fund is also for people who suddenly do not have as much money.  

For example, they might have lost their job, or they might have had to pay for something big they did not plan to have to buy.

The Councils will give help from the Crisis Resilience Fund to:

• people who do not have enough money
• households where there is a person with a disability
• households where there is an older person.

If you get benefits, your benefit money will not change if you get help from the Crisis Resilience Fund.

Your local Council can give you money.

You can spend the money on what you need the most.

In some cases, Councils might give you things like a new washing machine, or a new fridge instead of giving you money to buy one yourself.

Or they might give you vouchers if that is easier for you.

The Council will also offer you help to:

• manage your money
• get the right benefits
• try to stop you having a very difficult time again in the future.

You do not have to have this help, but you might find it useful.

You can apply for the Crisis Resilience Fund yourself.

Or someone who helps you can apply for you.  

For example:

• a friend or family member
• a social worker
• someone who works at a food bank
• someone who works for a charity who helps you.

If you have to pay more for things like special food, water or heating because of your disability, you need to tell the Council when you apply. 

Our Learning Disability Helpline can help if you would like support to apply for the Crisis Resilience Fund.

• email [email protected] 
• phone 0808 808 1111

Your local Council should have easy read information about how to apply.

You should be able to apply in different ways. For example:

• online
• phone
• going to see someone.

If your application is successful, the Council should try to give you the help within 2 days.

To find the website for your local Council go to www.gov.uk/find-local-council and type in your postcode.

When you have found your local Council's website, search for Crisis Resilience Fund.

If you find it hard to apply and you think the Council is not doing as much as it should do to make it easy to apply, contact our Learning Disability Helpline:

• email [email protected] 
• phone 0808 808 1111