Report
Resetting local crisis support in England: Recommendations for the new Crisis and Resilience Fund
The 2025 Spending Review contained a welcome announcement on new long term funding for local crisis support in England. The Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF) is set to replace the Household Support Fund (HSF) from April 2026, for three years.
It will enable local authorities in England to support people facing immediate financial hardship and help households strengthen their financial resilience.
The CRF is an opportunity to reset local crisis support in England, following over a decade of patchwork provision and the short term funding rounds that characterised its predecessor, the Household Support Fund.
The commitment to multi-year funding for the CRF is welcome. It is the kind of investment that can provide a lifeline to people when they are struggling to cope with the cost of living and reduce the need for emergency food to fill the gap in a crisis, as well as helping people onto a more secure financial footing for the future.
“Our analysis from 36 councils shows one in ten low-income families have negative budgets and are £400 short each month for essentials. Single adults are most exposed, but families with children experience the biggest gaps. With almost no savings to fall back on, even a small unexpected cost can push households into crisis.”
Rory Ewan, Senior Policy and Data Analyst Policy in Practice
Recommendations: four ways CRF can reset how local crisis support is given in England
While we recognise the need for deeper reforms in the social security system in the UK, we see the CRF as a major opportunity to reset how local crisis support is provided in England.
To ensure the CRF builds effectively on the foundations of Local Welfare Assistance and the HSF, and establishes a stronger, more sustainable approach to local crisis support, we recommend:
- A cash-first, needs-led approach to crisis support. This means prioritising cash payments for people facing a financial crisis, with flexibility to provide alternative support to suit individual needs and ensure value for money, for example, direct provision of furniture or appliances. This is the most effective and dignified approach, providing speed, choice, and flexibility. Crisis payments should also be closely connected to advice and wider support to help prevent future crises
- Tackling the drivers of financial crisis, not the symptom of food insecurity. An inability to afford food is a symptom of not having enough money to afford the essentials, including rent, energy, clothes, and transport. Free and low-cost food is neither the best form of crisis support nor a preventative measure that builds financial resilience, and should not be a priority for the CRF
- Preventative support and building financial resilience for people most at risk of financial crisis. Local authorities should be encouraged to use the CRF to invest in effective models of support that increase access to income and advice for people facing financial crisis, and reduce the need for emergency food parcels
- A systematic approach to monitoring and evaluating outcomes. An agreed approach to collecting data on outcomes is essential for understanding the impact of the CRF and learning where improvements can be made
“The new Crisis and Resilience Fund brings welcome stability, but councils will need to deliver a new scheme at speed. We are helping authorities implement the fund through our policy expertise, experience and practical data driven capabilities. In this report we share best practice gathered from helping over 100 local authorities proactively target support accurately and efficiently."
Deven Ghelani, Director and Founder Policy in Practice
How to cite this report
This report was developed collaboratively by Trussell and Policy in Practice.
It was authored by Beatrice Orchard, Sumi Rabindrakumar, Rory Ewan, Francisca Torres Cortés and Deven Ghelani.
If you wish to cite this report, we suggest using the following format:
Orchard, B., Rabindrakumar, S., Ewan, R., Torres Cortés, F., & Ghelani, D. (2025). Resetting local crisis support in England: Recommendations for the new Crisis and Resilience Fund. Trussell and Policy in Practice.
