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© 2026. The Purpl Co Limited. All rights reserved.
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© 2026. The Purpl Co Limited. All rights reserved.
11 min read
Written by
Georgina, Founder of Purpl
Published on
July 24, 2026
Last reviewed: 24 July 2026
Applies to: England
Written by: Georgina, Founder of Purpl
The Household Support Fund ended on 31 March 2026. From 1 April 2026, local emergency hardship support in England moved into the new Crisis and Resilience Fund, also known as the CRF.
The Crisis and Resilience Fund runs from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2029. It gives local authorities in England grant funding to support people facing a financial crisis and to fund preventative support that helps communities become more financially resilient. The official GOV.UK Crisis and Resilience Fund guidance confirms the fund period and explains that councils have discretion over how they design local schemes.
For disabled people and people with long term health conditions, sudden financial pressure can be harder to absorb. The disability price tag means higher costs for heating, medical equipment, specialist food, mobility aids, accessible transport, delivery fees and essential household items.
This guide explains how the Crisis and Resilience Fund works, who may qualify, what support may be available and how to apply through your local council.
The Household Support Fund ended on 31 March 2026 and was replaced from 1 April 2026 by the Crisis and Resilience Fund.
The Household Support Fund was used by councils to help households with essentials such as food, energy, water bills and other urgent costs. The final government guidance for the Household Support Fund covered the period from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026, after which the scheme closed.
The biggest problem with the Household Support Fund was that it ran in short funding blocks. Councils often had to plan support in six-month or twelve-month periods, which made it harder to build long-term local welfare support.
The Crisis and Resilience Fund is different because it runs for three years. GOV.UK says the new fund launched in England from 1 April 2026 and covers the period to 31 March 2029.
Some councils describe the change very clearly. West Sussex County Council says the Crisis and Resilience Fund replaces the Household Support Fund and has different rules. Coventry City Council says its Crisis and Resilience Fund includes Crisis Payments, previously known as the Household Support Fund, and Housing Payments, previously known as Discretionary Housing Payments.
The Crisis and Resilience Fund is a three-year funding stream for local authorities in England.
It is designed to help low-income residents in financial crisis and to improve longer-term financial resilience in local communities.
The official GOV.UK guidance says the fund provides grant funding to local authorities in England to provide preventative support to communities, as well as helping people when they are facing a financial crisis.
In plain English, the fund has two main purposes.
Councils can use the fund to help households facing sudden financial shocks. This may include emergency grants, vouchers, direct payments, housing support or help with essential household costs.
Councils can also use the fund to support advice services and local community programmes that help prevent people falling back into crisis. This could include debt advice, benefits checks, budgeting support, housing advice, warm referrals and local voluntary sector support.
This is important because the aim is not just to respond once someone reaches breaking point. The CRF is also meant to help people build stability.
The Crisis and Resilience Fund is important, but disabled people should not have to wait until they are in crisis before support becomes available.
Many disabled households are already managing higher everyday costs before an emergency happens. A broken washing machine, sudden energy bill or missed benefit payment can push someone over the edge very quickly.
That is why emergency grants, benefits advice, local welfare support and everyday savings all matter together.
The Crisis and Resilience Fund can help disabled households by offering discretionary support when essential costs become unaffordable.
The CRF is not a disability-only fund. It is a local hardship fund for low-income households and people facing financial crisis. But disabled people and people with long term health conditions may be more likely to need support because everyday life often costs more.
Disability-related costs can include:
This is where crisis support and everyday savings can work together. If your council can help with an urgent energy bill, broken appliance or emergency food need, that support can protect you in the moment. But reducing the everyday costs that sit around disability can also help create a small buffer before the next crisis hits.
Because the Crisis and Resilience Fund is administered locally, exact support varies by council. GOV.UK says local authorities have discretion to design schemes within the national guidance and grant conditions.
That means the support available in one council area may be different from the support available somewhere else.
For many disabled people, there is no spare money sitting around for sudden costs. Higher heating bills, taxis, specialist food, delivery fees and medical-related expenses can use up the buffer other households might rely on. If an essential cost puts your health, safety or independence at risk, it is worth checking whether local crisis support is available.
It is also worth checking whether you can reduce regular costs through Purpl before the next emergency arrives. Small savings on food, broadband, mobility aids, pet care or household items may not solve everything, but they can help protect the bit of breathing space disabled households so often lose.
Eligibility for Crisis and Resilience Fund support is set by individual local authorities.
In general, you may be able to apply if you:
You do not always need to receive benefits to qualify.
West Sussex County Council says people do not need to be receiving benefits to get support through its Crisis and Resilience Fund. Its local scheme focuses on understanding what caused the crisis, what risks the person is facing and what support may help now and in the future.
Other councils may set more specific requirements. Coventry City Council says applicants must be Coventry residents, aged 16 or over, living independently from parents or carers and able to show financial hardship. Coventry also explains that some support is linked to means-tested benefits.
The key message is simple: check your own council’s rules before assuming you will not qualify.
The Crisis and Resilience Fund can cover essential everyday expenses, emergency housing costs and support services, depending on your local council’s scheme.
Support may include:
Some of these costs overlap with the areas where Purpl members can also look for savings. For example, if food prices are causing pressure, Purpl’s grocery and supermarket pages include member offers with brands such as Morrisons, Ocado and Iceland. If a broken appliance or home essential is part of the problem, Purpl’s home and energy savings area can help members look for discounts on household essentials, broadband and utility-related offers.
Coventry City Council says its CRF can provide Crisis Payments, Housing Payments, Resilience Services and Community Coordination. It also describes Crisis Payments as support previously known as the Household Support Fund and Housing Payments as support previously known as Discretionary Housing Payments.
West Sussex County Council says the fund is designed to help people on low incomes manage a crisis and to improve access to joined-up support in the local community.
Not every council will offer the same type of help. Some may use cash payments, while others may use vouchers, direct payments to suppliers, food parcels or referrals.
To apply for Crisis and Resilience Fund support, you usually need to apply directly through your local council.
Use the GOV.UK “Find your local council” tool if you are not sure which council covers your address. GOV.UK says people who need support can find out how to get help through the Crisis and Resilience Fund from their local council.
Search your council website for:
Some councils may not use the same wording on every page, so try more than one search term.
Many councils offer an online application form. Others may offer phone support, referral-only access or help through local advice organisations.
If you find the application process hard, ask for help from:
GOV.UK’s CRF guidance refers to warm referrals, where services can connect people to other support with consent. This can reduce the need for people to repeat their story to multiple organisations.
Not every council labels the fund in the same way. Try searching your council website for “Crisis and Resilience Fund”, “Local Welfare Assistance”, “crisis payment”, “emergency support” and “financial hardship”. If you cannot find the right page, call the council and ask which team deals with emergency welfare support.
To process a Crisis and Resilience Fund application, councils usually need evidence.
The exact documents vary, but you may be asked for:
If you need accessible application formats, extra time, phone support or help from a trusted person, contact your council’s welfare team and ask for reasonable adjustments.
Save a copy of your latest benefit award letter, Universal Credit statement, bank statement and proof of address in one folder on your phone or computer. When you are already stressed, tired or unwell, having everything ready can make it much easier to apply quickly.
Emergency local authority grants can help when a crisis hits, but they are not designed to cover everyday life forever.
Purpl exists because disabled people and people with long term health conditions often face extra costs every single month.
Heating. Food. Transport. Delivery. Mobility aids. Clothing. Technology. Household essentials. Health products. Insurance. Pet care. Days out. Travel.
These costs add up quickly.
Purpl helps eligible members reduce the disability price tag through verified member discounts across everyday categories, including:
For example, Purpl members can browse grocery savings with brands such as Morrisons, Ocado and Iceland, helping reduce the cost of food shopping and delivery. Purpl’s supermarket savings page also highlights current grocery and delivery offers available to members.
For disabled people who need mobility aids, independent living equipment or practical home support, Purpl’s disability aids category includes offers from brands such as Eden Mobility, Millercare, Cool Crutches, Aosom, Active Hands and Mobility in Motion.
For households where broadband, energy and home costs are part of the pressure, Purpl’s home and energy savings area brings together deals on broadband, utilities and home essentials. Purpl also lists broadband and TV offers from providers and comparison partners such as Sky, Plusnet, Broadband Genie, Three, Virgin Media and Uswitch.
Purpl also reinvests 20% of eligible media revenue back into the Purpl Community Grant Fund to directly support members with disability-related costs.
The Crisis and Resilience Fund is there for emergencies. Purpl is there to help reduce the everyday costs that can make those emergencies more likely.
If you are already managing higher costs because of disability or a long term health condition, saving on everyday essentials can make a real difference.
Purpl members can access verified discounts across groceries, household essentials, mobility aids, broadband, pet care, health and wellbeing, travel, insurance and more.
Join Purpl for £1 a month to start saving and help support the Purpl Community Grant Fund.
Yes. The Household Support Fund ended on 31 March 2026. From 1 April 2026, local hardship support in England moved into the Crisis and Resilience Fund. GOV.UK confirms the CRF launched from 1 April 2026 and runs until 31 March 2029.
The Crisis and Resilience Fund is a three-year local welfare support fund for England. It gives local authorities funding to help people facing financial crisis and to provide preventative support that builds community resilience.
Yes. Disabled people and people with long term health conditions can apply if they meet their local council’s hardship and eligibility rules. The fund is not disability-only, but disability-related costs may be relevant when explaining your financial situation.
Not always. West Sussex County Council says people do not need to be receiving benefits to get support through its Crisis and Resilience Fund. However, other councils may require means-tested benefits for some types of help, so check your local scheme.
Support varies by council, but it may include food, energy, water, essential household items, clothing, bedding, emergency travel, housing costs, advice services and referrals to local support. Coventry City Council says its CRF provides Crisis Payments, Housing Payments, Resilience Services and Community Coordination.
PIP is not means-tested, so receiving local emergency support should not affect your PIP award. If you receive means-tested benefits such as Universal Credit, ask your council or an advice organisation how any payment will be treated before applying.
In most cases, local crisis support is given as a grant, voucher, direct payment or service support rather than a loan. However, councils design their own schemes, so check your local council’s policy before accepting support.
Councils set their own rules. Some may limit the number of awards a household can receive in a set period. Others may assess each application based on urgency, risk and available budget.
Apply through your local council. Search your council website for “Crisis and Resilience Fund”, “Local Welfare Assistance”, “crisis payment” or “emergency hardship support”. GOV.UK says people can find help through the fund from their local council.
The Household Support Fund has ended, and local hardship support in England now sits under the Crisis and Resilience Fund.
The new fund runs from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2029.
It is designed to help low-income households facing financial shocks and to support longer-term financial resilience in local communities.
Because the fund is locally managed, eligibility, application processes and payment types vary by council.
If rising costs, a sudden emergency or the disability price tag is threatening your household stability, check your local council’s Crisis and Resilience Fund guidance.
Emergency support exists to help protect your health, independence and safety.
Purpl can also help with the everyday side of the disability price tag. Members can access verified savings on groceries, household essentials, disability aids, broadband, pet care, health products, travel and more. These savings do not replace crisis support, but they can help reduce regular costs before they become another emergency.
Georgina is the Founder of Purpl, a disabled-led UK discount platform created to help disabled people, people with long term health conditions, carers and families reduce the extra cost of disability.
Living with Multiple Sclerosis herself, Georgina uses lived experience to create practical, honest and accessible guidance that helps the Purpl community save money, understand their rights and feel less alone when navigating benefits, household bills and disability-related costs.
Purpl works with trusted brands to provide verified discounts for eligible members and reinvests 20% of brand media and advertising spend into the Purpl Community Grant Fund.
Exploring your options? Check out The Purpl UK Disability Benefits and Support Handbook
The Disability Price Tag: Read what the disability price tag is and how to reduce extra costs
Energy Support: Find out about Warm Home Discount and energy support for disabled households
Workplace Help: Read our complete guide on the Access to Work scheme for disabled workers
Travel Discounts: Check out how to save money on accessible travel and public transport
Financial Grants: Apply for or read about the Purpl Community Grant Fund