If you received help from the Household Support Fund and are waiting for the next payment to appear, it will not. On 1 April 2026 that fund was replaced by the Crisis and Resilience Fund, and councils have been explicit: an award under the old scheme does not make you eligible under the new one. You have to apply again, from scratch.
The timing is unkind. The summer holidays are six weeks without free school meals, and they are the hardest six weeks of the year for households on a tight budget. This guide is about finding what your council actually offers, and claiming it before the money runs out — these funds are finite, and they close when they are spent.
Checkpoints
- The fund is national money distributed by councils, so eligibility, amounts and the application form all vary by area.
- Previous Household Support Fund recipients are not automatically enrolled.
- It can cover food, energy and water bills, housing costs, clothing, essential appliances and transport.
- Holiday food and activities for children run through a separate programme (HAF), booked through the council.
1 Start at the one national page, not a search engine
There is a single GOV.UK entry point for this, and it is worth starting there rather than trusting a blog with last year’s scheme names on it. The page states plainly that in England this support is now known as the Crisis and Resilience Fund, and that you do not need to be on benefits to ask for it.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland run their own equivalents, and the same page links to each. If you are outside England, follow those links rather than the English scheme.
2 Find your council, then read its criteria before you apply
Enter your postcode in the GOV.UK council finder, then search your council’s own site for its Crisis and Resilience Fund page. This is the only place the real rules live: what counts as a low income in your area, what the fund will pay for, and whether there is a limit of one application per household per year.
Councils must offer at least two ways to apply — typically online, by phone, or in person — and they accept applications throughout the year rather than in a single window.
3 Gather your evidence, and know what else the summer offers
Most councils want proof of identity and address, evidence of your income or benefits, and something showing hardship — arrears, a bill you cannot meet, a broken cooker. Assembling that before you open the form saves an abandoned application.
Separately, the Holiday Activities and Food programme runs over the summer for children eligible for benefits-related free school meals: free places, and a meal. It is funded by a different department and booked through your council, so it is a second thing to ask about, not the same pot of money.
4 Common mistakes, and how to avoid them
Mistake 1
Assuming last year’s award rolls over. Councils state that previous Household Support Fund recipients are not automatically eligible. No new application, no payment.
Mistake 2
Not applying because you work. GOV.UK says you do not have to be getting benefits, and that help will not affect the benefits you do get. Plenty of working households qualify.
Mistake 3
Treating HAF and the Crisis and Resilience Fund as one thing. They come from different departments and are claimed differently. Ask your council about both.
Do this today
Open the GOV.UK page, put your postcode into the council finder, and read your own council’s criteria today. These funds are cash-limited and close when spent — an application in July is worth more than one in September.
FAQ Frequently asked questions
I got the Household Support Fund last year. Do I get this automatically?
No. Councils confirm that previous recipients are not automatically eligible for the Crisis and Resilience Fund and must apply again. The one exception some councils make is for an application that was still undecided when the old fund closed on 31 March 2026.
Do I have to be on Universal Credit?
No. GOV.UK states that you do not have to be getting benefits to get help from your local council, and that any help you receive will not affect the benefits you already claim. Councils set their own definition of a low income in their area.
Is there help with food over the six-week summer holiday?
Yes, through the Holiday Activities and Food programme, which offers free places and a meal for children eligible for benefits-related free school meals. It is funded separately from the Crisis and Resilience Fund and booked through your council.
Key takeaways
- The Household Support Fund became the Crisis and Resilience Fund on 1 April 2026, and it runs to March 2029.
- Previous recipients must reapply — nothing carries over.
- You do not need to be on benefits, and a payment will not affect the benefits you already receive.
- Amounts and rules are set by each council, so start at GOV.UK, then read your own council’s page.
