The Household Support Fund was a £742 million pot from the Department for Work and Pensions that ran to 31 March 2026 and let every English council pay one-off crisis help for food, energy and other essentials. From 1 April 2026 it was replaced by the Crisis and Resilience Fund, worth £842 million a year in England. Apply through the council that collects your council tax.
Quick Answer
The Household Support Fund closed on 31 March 2026 after a final £742 million allocation and was replaced on 1 April 2026 by the Crisis and Resilience Fund — £842 million a year in England, plus £27 million more for oil-heating areas in 2026-27. Councils still hand out the money in the form of cash, supermarket vouchers, energy top-ups and referrals to advice services. To apply, search “[your council name] Crisis and Resilience Fund” or ring the number on your last council tax bill.
What was the Household Support Fund, in plain English?
The Household Support Fund was a ring-fenced DWP grant that upper-tier councils in England spent on residents at short-term risk of going without food, heating or other basics. The scheme ran in six-month or twelve-month blocks from October 2021 through to 31 March 2026.
How much money was in the final Household Support Fund?
The final round covered 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026 and totalled £742 million across England, published in DWP guidance last updated on 1 April 2026. Devolved nations received a proportional share through the Barnett formula and set their own schemes.
Has the Household Support Fund been extended past March 2026?
No — the Household Support Fund itself ended on 31 March 2026. From 1 April 2026 the government replaced it with the Crisis and Resilience Fund, announced at the spending review and confirmed in the Chancellor’s statement to Parliament in March 2026. The old name has been retired.
What is the Crisis and Resilience Fund and how is it different?
The Crisis and Resilience Fund merges the old Household Support Fund and Discretionary Housing Payments into one pot worth £842 million a year in England from April 2026, with an extra £27 million ring-fenced in 2026-27 for households on oil heating. The Crisis and Resilience Fund is still delivered by councils, but it can now cover housing shortfalls that the old scheme could not.
Expert Insight — James Whitfield
“Councils were told to plan for a cliff-edge on 31 March, which is why some paused new applications in February and March. Under the Crisis and Resilience Fund a lot of councils have kept the same phone lines, the same voucher partners and even the same online form — only the branding changed. If your council’s Household Support Fund page now says ‘closed’, try the Crisis and Resilience Fund page or the general ‘welfare support’ page before assuming the door is shut.”
Who can apply for a Crisis and Resilience Fund payment?
The Crisis and Resilience Fund is aimed at low-income households facing a sudden expense or loss of income. Councils set their own eligibility rules within DWP guidance, but most schemes accept anyone in receipt of a means-tested benefit or on a low wage who can evidence a short-term crisis such as a broken boiler, a delayed pay day, or an energy debt.
Do you need to be on Universal Credit to qualify?
No. Universal Credit is one of the fastest routes in, but the Crisis and Resilience Fund is open to anyone on a low income, including pensioners on the state pension, carers, care leavers, working households on tax credits, and disabled residents. Payments do not count as income and do not reduce your benefits.
What can the money be spent on?
The Crisis and Resilience Fund pays for food, energy, water, essential white goods, school uniform, clothing, transport costs, and — a change from the old scheme — the rent shortfall that Discretionary Housing Payments used to cover. Mortgage help is still excluded, mirroring the old Household Support Fund rules that ran through 31 March 2026.
How do you actually apply in 2026?
Apply through the council that collects your council tax. Most councils opened their new Crisis and Resilience Fund forms between 1 and 20 April 2026, with some running rolling application windows and others opening in tranches. If your council has not published a portal yet, ring the number on your council tax bill and ask for “welfare support” or “the emergency assistance team”.
How long does a decision take?
Decision times vary sharply by council. Emergency food and fuel vouchers are usually issued the same day or within 48 hours; larger awards for white goods, rent arrears or backdated energy debt can take 10 to 20 working days because the council has to verify income, benefits and any other help already given in the year.
Do you get cash, a voucher, or something else?
Councils have discretion to pay in cash, vouchers or in kind, and DWP guidance actively encourages supermarket and energy vouchers to reduce fraud risk. In practice, most Crisis and Resilience Fund awards come as e-vouchers for a specific supermarket, an energy top-up code, or a direct credit to your energy account.
Can you apply more than once in a year?
Most councils cap awards at one or two per household per twelve-month period, with a hard limit that resets on 1 April in line with the funding year. Repeat applications are usually possible only if a genuine new crisis has arisen, and evidence — a broken-boiler quote, an eviction notice, a benefit sanction letter — is usually required.
What if your council says the fund is closed?
“Closed” almost always means the current application window is full, not that the scheme has ended. Ask for the reopening date, ask to be referred to a foodbank or a local welfare assistance scheme, and check whether you qualify for a Budgeting Advance from the DWP for one-off costs like clothes for a new job or a moving deposit.
Does the Crisis and Resilience Fund affect your Universal Credit?
No. Payments from the Crisis and Resilience Fund are disregarded for Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, Council Tax Support and Pension Credit. Receiving a supermarket voucher, a fuel top-up or a one-off cash award will not reduce your monthly benefit and does not need to be reported to the DWP.
What other help exists alongside it?
The Crisis and Resilience Fund sits inside a wider safety net. Households on Universal Credit or legacy benefits can also apply for a Budgeting Advance, a Cold Weather Payment where the trigger is met, the Warm Home Discount (£150 automatic energy rebate), and council-run schemes such as Council Tax Support. Students should check their Student Finance payment dates and hardship funds separately before applying to the council.
Is the fund available in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?
The Crisis and Resilience Fund covers England only. Scotland runs the Scottish Welfare Fund with Crisis Grants and Community Care Grants. Wales runs the Discretionary Assistance Fund (Emergency Assistance and Individual Assistance Payments). Northern Ireland runs Discretionary Support through the Department for Communities. All three operate under similar principles to the English scheme.
How much extra money does the Barnett formula send to the devolved nations?
Because the Crisis and Resilience Fund is a devolved policy area, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland receive an automatic share on top of the £842 million for England. Total funding across the whole UK reaches roughly £1 billion a year once Barnett consequentials are added, though each devolved government chooses how to spend its share — the money is not ring-fenced for crisis support and can be routed into their own equivalent schemes.
Which councils opened first in April 2026?
Councils in Devon, Southampton, West Sussex and North Devon were among the first to publish live Crisis and Resilience Fund pages, opening applications between 1 and 20 April 2026. Larger unitary authorities such as Manchester, Birmingham, and Bromley kept the old Household Support Fund page live for a transition period before switching branding and forms mid-April 2026.
What evidence do you need for an application?
Councils typically ask for one form of photo ID, a recent utility bill or tenancy agreement to prove address, a recent bank statement showing the crisis (unpaid bill, low balance, missed direct debit), and a letter or statement confirming any benefits you receive. For a broken-appliance or arrears award, add a quote or a demand letter. Missing evidence is the most common reason applications are refused on first submission.
Our Take
The rebrand from Household Support Fund to Crisis and Resilience Fund is confusing for anyone Googling last year’s name, but the practical effect is positive: the pot is bigger (£842m vs £742m), it now covers housing shortfalls, and it is confirmed as annual funding rather than the six-month extensions councils had to plan around from 2021 to 2026. Do not wait for a “national application” — there is not one. Everything runs through your council, and speed matters because most councils allocate on a first-come basis until the tranche runs out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Household Support Fund still open in 2026?
No. The Household Support Fund closed on 31 March 2026. From 1 April 2026 it was replaced by the Crisis and Resilience Fund, delivered by the same English councils under new DWP guidance.
How much can you get from the Crisis and Resilience Fund?
Awards typically range from a £30 emergency food voucher to £500 or more for white goods, rent shortfalls or large energy arrears. There is no fixed national amount; each council sets its own scale.
Does applying affect your benefits?
No. Crisis and Resilience Fund payments are disregarded for Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, Council Tax Support and Pension Credit. They are not taxable and do not need to be declared as income.
How long does the money take to arrive?
Emergency food and fuel vouchers are usually issued within 24 to 48 hours. Larger awards for white goods or arrears can take 10 to 20 working days while the council verifies income and benefit details.
Can you apply if you are working?
Yes. The Crisis and Resilience Fund is not restricted to benefit claimants. Working households on low incomes, including those on tax credits or minimum wage, can apply if they can evidence a short-term financial crisis.
What replaces Discretionary Housing Payments in 2026?
Discretionary Housing Payments were folded into the Crisis and Resilience Fund on 1 April 2026. Councils now use the combined pot to cover rent shortfalls and other housing costs alongside food and energy help.
Key Takeaways
- The Household Support Fund ended on 31 March 2026 after a final £742 million allocation.
- From 1 April 2026 the Crisis and Resilience Fund replaced it with £842 million a year in England, plus £27m ring-fenced for oil-heating households in 2026-27.
- The new fund also absorbs Discretionary Housing Payments, so rent shortfalls are now inside the same pot.
- Apply through the council that collects your council tax; most opened their forms between 1 and 20 April 2026.
- Payments come as vouchers, energy top-ups or cash and are disregarded for Universal Credit and other means-tested benefits.
- Awards are usually one or two per household per year, with the funding year running 1 April to 31 March.
Sources
- GOV.UK, “1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026: Household Support Fund guidance for county councils and unitary authorities in England” (DWP, last updated 1 April 2026)
- GOV.UK, “Household Support Fund: guidance for local councils” (DWP publications hub)
- UK Parliament, Hansard — Commons debate “Crisis and Resilience Fund” (25 March 2026)
- North Devon Council, “Crisis and Resilience Fund” — replaces the Household Support Fund
- West Sussex County Council, “Replacement of the Household Support Fund (HSF) with the Crisis Resilience Fund (CRF)”
- GOV.UK, “Cost of living support” (general benefits hub)
Figures verified as of July 2026. Council eligibility rules and application windows change frequently; always check your own council’s Crisis and Resilience Fund page for the current tranche.
