The Crisis and Resilience Fund
Important notice
The Crisis and Resilience Fund replaced the Household Support Fund, which ended on 31 March 2026. This Fund focuses on crisis support and prevention, so is not a like-for-like replacement for the Household Support Fund.
Crisis Payment applications are now available, while other parts of the scheme will be developed as the scheme progresses. A full delivery plan will be in place from 1 July 2026 as required by government guidance.
This funding has been provided by the UK Government to both provide a safety net for those on low incomes who encounter a financial shock, and to invest in building local financial resilience to enable individuals and communities to better deal with crises in the long-term, reducing crisis need. The funding will cover the period 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2029.
The Crisis and Resilience Fund will focus on three main outcomes:
- Provision of effective crisis support: Timely crisis support will prevent the occurrence or escalation of individuals’ crises
- Improving individuals’ financial resilience: This will empower residents to better manage financial shocks and mitigate the occurrence, recurrence and escalation of crises
- Bolstering the local-level support landscape: This includes strengthening resilience networks within local communities, that in turn boost the financial resilience of individuals within these communities
We will allocate this funding across the following components:
- Crisis Payments: Providing support to those in crisis
- Housing Payments: Providing financial support towards housing needs, to those who face a shortfall in meeting their housing costs
- Resilience services: Funding for services delivered by authorities or external providers to improve financial resilience
- Community coordination: Investment in activities that connect and enhance the local support landscape
Crisis Payments
Support can be offered to low-income households to:
- help individuals who have experienced financial shock. A financial shock is a sudden, unexpected expense or drop in income, that can place pressure on their budget and wellbeing.
- prevent individuals from entering crisis. Providing timely support so that people can manage pressures, maintain control and avoid being pushed into crisis or prevent crises from escalating.
It is important to note that Crisis Payments are intended to meet occasional or short-term needs and cannot provide an alternative source of regular income.
A crisis is a circumstance of pressing need which requires immediate action to prevent or remedy negative outcomes. This could include, but is not limited to, people going without material essentials such as food, shelter, heating, essential items such as furniture and appliances or services such as water or energy.
If you have experienced a financial shock or are currently experiencing a crisis, use the application form below to apply.
Important update
Due to a nationwide increase in fraudulent applications for Crisis Payments, we must request specific information. Without this we will be unable to progress applications.
Please ensure you provide the following information as part of your application:
- Two months of bank statements for every bank account held by each adult in the household
- Evidence of a breakdown of any benefits received by adults in the household
- Photo identification
- Proof of address
- Recent utility bill
If you do not submit the required supporting documentation, your application will be refused and you will need to apply again.
If your application is accepted, you will receive a one-off crisis payment and may be referred for additional services to improve your financial resilience.
Please note: This payment may be in the form of a supermarket or cash voucher, or possibly by payment into a bank account. We will collect your bank account details through the application process, so please be vigilant if you receive any separate communication asking to provide this information or asking to pay any money to consider any application. If you receive any communication asking you to do so, be assured it is not from us and can be ignored. We are aware fraudsters may operate in this way.
Apply for Swindon Crisis and Resilience Fund
If you have any difficulty completing this application online, we recommend you visit one of our Community Hubs where colleagues will be able to assist you to make an application. If you cannot apply online and are unable to get to a Community Hub, contact Customer Services on 01793 445500 who will pass your details to our Live Well Team who will contact you to support you to apply.
Please note: This is not an emergency response fund. Applications will take some time to consider. Once all the required information is received, we will process the application as quickly as possible. Do not contact us to ask what is happening with your application as this only causes further delays. If you’re struggling to afford enough food, call Citizens Advice on 0808 278 7813 between 10.00am and 4.00pm, Monday to Friday, to discuss options based on your circumstances, which could include a referral to the food bank in Swindon.
Housing Payments
Housing Payments has now replaced Discretionary Housing Payments. These may be available to eligible residents requiring additional financial assistance with housing costs.
Housing Payments can be given to people who need extra help to pay their rent because either:
- the benefit they receive does not cover the whole amount
- they are subject to certain benefit reductions
- they need help paying for removal costs
For more information and to apply see Housing Payments.
Resilience Services
These are services to help households become more financially secure and may include:
- income maximisation (benefit checks and employment support)
- debt reduction advice
- financial capability and budgeting skills
- support to build savings and access affordable credit
Additional services will be developed as part of the Crisis and Resilience Fund and will be either offered as part of the engagement process when a resident applies for a crisis or housing payment or may be offered through alternative routes including our Community Hubs.
Community Coordination
We will work with local organisations to build partnerships and referral pathways that make both immediate crisis responses and longer-term resilience building possible. It will look to identify opportunities to connect services to address service gaps or expand existing provision. This may include introducing new services where there are gaps or enhancing existing services to better meet demand.
Where to get extra help
There are existing advice and support services detailed in the cost of living webpage which can help to improve financial resilience.
The government Cost of Living Hub also provides useful information on support.