Crisis and Resilience Fund
The Crisis and Resilience Fund
If you are experiencing financial difficulty or feel at risk of crisis, you can apply for support through the Crisis and Resilience Fund.
The UK Government has announced that the Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF) has been made available to in England to support low-income households who encounter a financial shock and to support activity that builds individual and community financial resilience.
A financial shock is a sudden, unexpected expense or drop in income, that can place pressure on a household budget and wellbeing, or to help 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.
There is no prescriptive list which provides a comprehensive definition of the type of crisis that causes a financial shock. It is at the Council’s discretion to determine whether an individual’s situation constitutes a crisis, but it may include:
- disasters – these will normally be unforeseen and result in significant damage to, or loss of, possessions or property, such as a serious flood or fire, gas explosion or a chemical leak
- accident, health emergency or mental health crisis, leading to unplanned spending or incurring increased expenses
- when an applicant is experiencing domestic abuse and leaving an abusive relationship/partner and needs immediate help, such as moving into an unfurnished property and needing help with furniture and appliances
- breakage of an essential item, for example a boiler, medical equipment or white goods
- where money has been lost or stolen and living expenses are required
- when the applicant has a short-term gap in regular income, for example, due to redundancy or a significant change in working pattern
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.
Please note this fund is not for immediate assistance and the full process can take a number of weeks from applications being assessed and awarded to being processed.
Independent financial advice and support
All applicants will be referred to one of our third party organisations, who will provide financial advice and support as part of the application which needs to be completed before the application award is processed.
This will help to ensure that you are making the most of your money by:
- Checking you are receiving all the benefits you are entitled to
- Looking at options to reduce utility bills, or, that your utility bill tariffs meet your needs
- Offering employment and training advice
- Supporting you with budgeting and money management
If you are in need of immediate assistance please visit;
Hyndburn Hub (hyndburnbc.gov.uk) for more information on what other support may be available to you.
Government cost of living support: Overview – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Eligibility
CRF is not an emergency fund and applications are processed in the order received.
To be eligible for the scheme;
- Must be age 16 years or over
- A resident of Hyndburn
- Experiencing financial hardship, or a financial shock, and not have enough resources to meet your immediate short-term needs
Hyndburn residents do not need to be in receipt of benefits to apply for the CRF, it is expected however that applicants will provide evidence that they do not have sufficient funds to support themselves.
Please visit the below link for more help and support available across Hyndburn. Hyndburn Hub (hyndburnbc.gov.uk)
Support Available
CRF can assist with one of the following areas:
- Energy & Water
- Food – Awarded through a voucher for a local supermarket
- Clothing
- Limited small white goods /household goods
As part of the application process, you are giving consent to be contacted by either Citizens Advice or Lancashire Women who will be able to offer a range of additional support, schemes and services.
Please note that this service will need to have taken place before your application can be processed.
The scheme will also signpost you to other sources of advice and support to ensure that you get all the assistance you are entitled to.
Evidence required for all applications
Bank Statements
- Please attach bank statements for all bank accounts, for all adults in the household
- Each bank statement must clearly show a calendar months worth of transactions that are up to date
- Please ensure that name(s) and address are clear and visible at the top of the statement
- Each statement must be uploaded in a PDF or other format – we do not accept screen shots of bank statements.
- Bank statements including savings accounts must have matching dates and transactions for all accounts.
Assistance with Energy & Water Utilities
- As well as the above please also include up to date energy statements for each energy supplier you are applying for assistance with
- Clearly showing name, address and account details
- Each statement must be uploaded in a PDF or other format – we do not accept screen shots of energy statements
Your completed application will be reviewed, once a decision has been made you will then be notified if you have been successful.
Can I appeal a decision if my application is unsuccessful?
As this is a discretionary scheme there is no right of appeal. However, if you think we have overlooked important information then you can ask for us to look at the application again by emailing enquiries@hyndburnbc.gov.uk providing reasons along with your name, address and reference number.
This decision will be final.
Correct use of CRF
The CRF cannot usually be used for:
- Ongoing low income or long-term financial hardship without a crisis event
- Repayment of debts or arrears
- Costs that are not essential to basic living
- Expenses that could reasonably be met through other statutory provision or insurance
- People with No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF), including many asylum seekers. If you have NRPF, we may still be able to advise you about other support available.
Repeat applications
CRF is intended to support households through exceptional, short-term crises.
- Support is intended to provide short‑term assistance and is limited to one award per household within a 6‑month period.
- All repeat applications are subject to additional scrutiny
- Repeat applications are not expected and will only be considered where there is evidence of a new or significantly changed crisis.
- CRF partner organisations
Our aim is to improve residents’ financial resilience and to help build a stronger, more coordinated local support landscape.
The Council are delivering the CRF scheme with a number of local voluntary, faith and community organisations, to ensure that help is available for residents across Hyndburn, including –
- Citizens Advice East Lancashire
- Lancashire Women
- Aawaz
- Maundy Relief
- Union Road Community Church, Oswaldtwistle
- Brave Church, Oswaldtwistle
- Hyndburn Food Pantry
- Our Food Pantry, Great Harwood
- Carers Link
Please visit the below link for more help and support available across Hyndburn. Hyndburn Hub (hyndburnbc.gov.uk)
Your privacy
The information that you provide will be processed in accordance with the (GDPR) and data protection law for the purpose of provision and management of the Household Support Fund. Your personal information, where provided, will be processed under Article 6,1 (e) of the GDPR – processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller. Any further information you may require on how we process your information please contact us at enquiries@hyndburnbc.gov.uk
