Crisis and resilience fund

The crisis resilience fund was launched by the Government in April 2026, and provides assistance for low income households who are experiencing a financial shock, or at risk of falling into crisis.

Examples of a financial shock

Examples of a financial shock include (but are not limited to):

• a sudden loss of income or reduced hours;
• an unexpected essential bill or cost;
• a delay or change in benefits;
• illness, caring responsibilities or a family emergency;
• urgent housing issues, that increase financial pressure.

Where appropriate, eligible residents can receive a crisis payment in addition to wider support.

Eligibility for a crisis payment

Residents may be eligible for a crisis payment if they:

• live full time in Hampshire (please note that Southampton City and Portsmouth City Councils operate their own schemes)
• are facing financial hardship: applicants must be experiencing a crisis, such as inability to pay for essentials (e.g. food or fuel) or have a sudden loss of income
• have an immediate need, primarily for unexpected events such as applicance failure or emergency housing needs
• have an adult in the household that is currently entitled to a means tested, passporting benefit, including Universal Credit, pension credit (guarantee credit), or housing benefit or
• have a low household income after paying essential living costs
• can evidence they are a household that does not have sufficient resources to resolve the immediate crisis without going without essentials, incurring unmanageable debt, or exacerbating financial harm
• have limited access to savings (less than £6,000)

What you need to provide

Applicants will be asked to provide:

• financial information, such as bank statements from the last month, recent income details, and any savings.
• photo identification and proof of address.
• proof of crisis – for example quote for repairs of white goods, letter of redundancy, bill for car repairs.

Apply for support

To apply for support, residents should contact their local Citizens Advice service who administer CRF payments on behalf of Hampshire County Council.

Payments

Most payments will be made in the form of vouchers that can be exchanged for cash at the Post Office or PayPoint vouchers that can be ‘cashed in’ at stores running a PayPoint scheme.

Need more information?

For more information on other support available through the crisis resilience fund, please visit the Hampshire County Council website.