Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: A new funding scheme will give access to emergency cash for people on low incomes across England, reported BBC. The Crisis and Resilience Fund beginning at the start of April will provide £1bn annually for the next three years.
“The Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF) (“The Fund”) has been made available to local authorities (LAs) in England to support low-income households who encounter a financial shock and to support activity that builds individual and community financial resilience. This funding covers the period of 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2029 inclusive (“The Fund Period”). This includes specified funding for housing support,” said a Government press release. People will be able to apply for emergency funds through their local council, whether or not they currently receive benefits.
The new rules say councils can give money to people in financial shock where there is “a sudden, unexpected expense or drop in income”, like a broken boiler, the loss of a job or to prevent people from entering crisis. It is a replacement for the temporary Household Support Fund which had been extended on a rolling basis since it was set up in 2021, but was due to finish at the end of March. The level of funding is broadly the same as the previous scheme.
The cash element is a significant change to the past scheme, which the Government hopes will help fulfil a manifesto pledge to end “mass reliance on emergency food parcels”. It means councils can give those experiencing difficulties direct access to cash in the hopes of removing the need for hand-out provisions.
The guarantee of at least three years of funding mean councils can plan their support schemes and provision over a longer period. Emma Revie, co-chief executive at the Trussell Trust, a charity that supports food banks, said, “The new Crisis and Resilience Fund is a vital step towards ensuring no-one is forced to turn to a food bank to get by.”
People will be able to apply for emergency funds through their local council, whether or not they currently receive benefits
In guidance to councils, the Department for Work and Pensions said the money can be used for three different purposes: crisis payments, housing payments – for those facing an unexpected shortfall, and resilience services for funding the charities and local organisations currently providing front-line support.
