Crisis and Resilience Fund

Q: What do we mean by “vulnerable”?

You may be considered vulnerable if you:

• have a physical or mental disability
• are of pension age
• are pregnant or have dependent children
• are a carer
• are a care leaver under 25

You may also be vulnerable if you are dealing with a sudden crisis, such as:

• losing your job
• a sudden drop in income
• money being stolen 
• a health emergency

Being vulnerable is defined as being in need of special care, support, or protection because of age (whether child or adult), disability, or risk of abuse or neglect - Vulnerabilities: applying All Our Health - GOV.UK

Q: Can I apply if I have an income and or savings?

Crisis Payments are usually for people on a low income.  

This normally means you:

• get means‑tested benefits such as Universal Credit, Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction, or  
• can clearly show that you have very little income or savings

Crisis Payments are usually only made when other options have been tried, such as savings or other support.

Q: What counts as a "crisis"?

A crisis may be defined as one of the following: 

• sudden loss of employment, reduced hours, delayed wages, benefit delay, sanction, suspension, incorrect payment or unexpected reduction in income. 
• emergency repair, replacement of an essential appliance, increased energy costs, rent shortfall, unexpected travel, funeral or bereavement-related cost, or essential cost linked to illness, disability or caring responsibilities. 
• fleeing domestic abuse, family breakdown, fire, flood, theft, unsafe accommodation, homelessness risk or other event that creates an immediate need for safety, stability or essential items. 
• sudden illness, hospital admission, discharge from hospital, deterioration in health, new caring responsibility, disability-related cost or urgent need to access appointments or treatment. 
• a combination of smaller pressures that together create immediate hardship, such as rising bills, debt deductions, benefit deductions, food insecurity and lack of informal support. 

Q: If my application is successful, what financial support might I receive?

The level of support provided will depend on a professional assessment of a household’s immediate needs. 

Food vouchers

• £65.00 for one adult (single occupancy household)
• £100.00 per couple + £25.00 extra for each additional person 

Gas and electricity payment

• £150.00 for one adult (single occupancy household)
• £200.00 for 2 to 3 people in a household
• £250.00 for 4 or more people in a household

Water supply payment

• £50.00 for one adult (single occupancy household)
• £75.00 for 2 to 3 people in a household
• £100.00 for 4 or more people in a household

Oil payments

Help with oil heating is assessed on an individual basis.

Furniture support  

You may get help if you do not have essential furniture.

Each application is assessed on an individual basis.

Payment awards

Payment award amounts are based on:

• what you need
• your personal situation
• a caring, supportive approach

Q: What happens after we submit a Crisis Payment Application?

There is a three-stage review process:

• Business Support checks evidence and completeness.
• Business Support and Continuous Improvement review the application and make recommendations.
• A daily 'Crisis Payments Management Panel' review the evidence and make the final decision.

All applications are finally reviewed to ensure the required evidence is present, and crisis eligibility criteria are met.

Q: What happens if a Crisis Payment application is declined?

The referrer will be advised of the outcome and recommendations made to refer the resident into alternative resilience support services where appropriate. This may include:

• Debt advice
• Budgeting support
• Financial resilience work
• Wellbeing services
• Wider family support

The grant programme is designed to build a strong marketplace of financial support services to ensure alternative information, advice and guidance is available.