In England, the Crisis and Resilience Fund gives grant funding to local councils to help people facing a financial crisis. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own funds, the benefits system offers advances and loans that you pay back, and some grants cover specific costs. This guide sets out who each scheme is for and how to apply.
Key points
✓The Household Support Fund funding ran until 31 March 2026, and the Crisis and Resilience Fund covers 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2029 in England.
✓GOV.UK says councils decide how to run their schemes, so check with your local council to find out what support is available.
✓Scotland has the Scottish Welfare Fund, Wales has the Discretionary Assistance Fund and Northern Ireland has Discretionary Support.
✓A Universal Credit advance is paid back, usually within 24 months. A Budgeting Loan is interest free and you normally repay it within 2 years. Scottish Welfare Fund grants do not need to be paid back.
✓Your energy supplier may be able to give you access to financial support called hardship funds. GOV.UK says Citizens Advice can give information on grants and support to help you pay your energy bills.
The Crisis and Resilience Fund (England) and what replaced the Household Support Fund
If you have searched for the Household Support Fund, GOV.UK says its funding for local authorities in England ran until 31 March 2026. The new Crisis and Resilience Fund launches in England from 1 April 2026, and its funding covers 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2029.
It provides grant funding to local authorities in England to provide preventative support to communities, as well as assisting people when faced with a financial crisis. On its page about help from your local council, GOV.UK says that in England this support is known as the Crisis and Resilience Fund.
What it could help with: GOV.UK lists energy and water bills, food, essential items and housing costs.
Who it is for: funding is aimed at anyone who is vulnerable or cannot pay for essentials, and you do not have to be getting benefits to get help from your local council.
Your benefits: if you get benefits, they will not be affected if you get a payment from the Crisis and Resilience Fund.
How to apply: councils decide how to run their schemes, so check with your local council to find out what support is available. You can start at gov.uk/cost-living-help-local-council.
There may be differences between councils in eligibility criteria, in if or how you need to apply, and in who money is given to. For example, some councils share out money through local charities and community groups, and some limit household applications to one per year.
Crisis funds in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
The Crisis and Resilience Fund is launched in England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own schemes, and the sections below cover each one.
Scotland, Scottish Welfare Fund: a Crisis Grant helps with an unexpected emergency like a fire, flood or losing your job, and a Community Care Grant helps you or someone you care for live independently. You must be 16 or older and on a low income or getting certain benefits, and you can only apply through your local council. You do not need to pay these grants back.
Wales, Discretionary Assistance Fund (DAF): an Emergency Assistance Payment is a grant for essential costs such as food, gas, electricity, heating oil or emergency travel if you are experiencing extreme financial hardship, have lost your job or are waiting for your first benefit payment, and an Individual Assistance Payment is a grant to help you or someone you care for live independently. You do not need to pay these grants back.
Northern Ireland, Discretionary Support: help with short-term living expenses or household items in a crisis, as either an interest-free loan or a grant that you would not have to pay back. You apply to the Finance Support Service.
In Wales you can apply online, by post or by phone, but you cannot apply for a grant if you have already received a grant in the last 7 days or 3 grants within the last 12 rolling months. In Northern Ireland you can get up to three Discretionary Support loans in any 12-month period. If debt is part of the problem, see our dealing with debt guide.
One-off help through the benefits system
If you are already claiming, or about to claim, these are the ways GOV.UK describes to get help with a cost or a wait for money:
Universal Credit Budgeting Advance: if you already get Universal Credit and need help paying for a one-off cost, such as furniture, household items, clothes or footwear, or repairs or security for your home. You need to have been getting Universal Credit, Employment and Support Allowance or Pension Credit for 6 months or more, or need the money to help you start a new job or stay in work, and you pay it back through your Universal Credit payments, usually over 24 months.
Universal Credit advance: if you are waiting for your first Universal Credit payment, you can apply for an advance. The most you can get is the amount of your first estimated payment, and you must usually pay it back within 24 months.
Budgeting Loan: you must have been getting Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance or Pension Credit for the past 6 months. It is interest free and you normally have to repay it within 2 years. If you currently get Universal Credit, you cannot get a Budgeting Loan and should apply for a Budgeting Advance instead.
Short-term benefit advance: you may be able to get an advance on your first benefit payment if you are in urgent financial need and have recently applied for a benefit such as Jobseeker's Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance, Carer's Allowance, Pension Credit or State Pension. You usually pay it back through your benefits and do not have to pay interest.
Hardship payment: if your Universal Credit payments are stopped or reduced because of a sanction or fraud penalty, you might get a recoverable hardship payment to help afford food, heating, hygiene and housing costs that Universal Credit does not provide. You pay it back through your future Universal Credit payments.
A Universal Credit advance must usually be paid back within 24 months. A Budgeting Loan is interest free, but you still have to repay it. A recoverable hardship payment is paid back through your future Universal Credit payments. Our Universal Credit guide explains how advances and repayments work.
Grants for new babies, funerals and winter costs
Some grants and payments are tied to a life event or the winter:
Sure Start Maternity Grant: a one-off payment of £500 to help towards the costs of having a child. You usually qualify if you are expecting your first child, or a multiple birth and have children already, and you or your partner get certain benefits. You must claim within 11 weeks of the baby's due date or within 6 months after the baby's birth, and you do not have to pay it back.
If you live in Scotland you cannot get a Sure Start Maternity Grant and can apply for a Pregnancy and Baby Payment instead, and there is a different form and postal address in Northern Ireland.
Funeral Expenses Payment: help to pay for a funeral you are arranging if you (or your partner) get Universal Credit, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Pension Credit or Housing Benefit. You must apply within 6 months of the funeral.
In Scotland the Funeral Support Payment has replaced it, and there is a different way to claim in Northern Ireland.
Warm Home Discount: a one-off £150 discount off your electricity bill, which your electricity supplier applies to your bill, so the money is not paid to you. The scheme is not available in Northern Ireland.
Cold Weather Payment: if you get certain benefits or Support for Mortgage Interest, you get £25 for each 7-day period of very cold weather between 1 November 2026 and 31 March 2027, and you do not need to apply.
In Scotland you cannot get Cold Weather Payments, and you might get an annual Winter Heating Payment instead, regardless of weather conditions in your area.
If you are struggling to pay for energy, Ofgem says you can ask your supplier to agree a payment plan, payment break or reduction, to review your current payments and debt repayments, and to give you access to financial support called hardship funds. Ofgem also says to ask your supplier if it has any schemes or grants that can help with energy costs, paying off energy debt or making energy-saving improvements to your home.
Citizens Advice: GOV.UK says you can contact Citizens Advice for information on grants and support to help you pay your energy bills.
Prepayment meters: if you cannot afford to top up, you can get temporary credit from your supplier, which you will have to pay back, and you may also be able to get a fuel voucher.
Water bills: GOV.UK says you can find out how to reduce your water bill, and the support you may be able to get to pay for it, on the CCW website.
Local charities: some councils share out Crisis and Resilience Fund money through local charities and community groups.
Benefits check: GOV.UK's list of benefits calculators includes the Turn2us benefits calculator.
Is there emergency help if I live in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland?
Yes. Scotland has the Scottish Welfare Fund, with Crisis Grants and Community Care Grants, and you can only apply through your local council. Wales has the Discretionary Assistance Fund, with Emergency Assistance Payments and Individual Assistance Payments, and you can apply online, by post or by phone. Northern Ireland has Discretionary Support, and you apply to the Finance Support Service.
Do I have to pay grants and hardship funds back?
The Scottish Welfare Fund grants do not need to be paid back. Nor do the two types of grant from the Welsh Discretionary Assistance Fund. You do not have to pay a Sure Start Maternity Grant back. A Universal Credit advance must usually be paid back within 24 months. A Budgeting Loan is interest free and you normally repay it within 2 years. In Northern Ireland, Discretionary Support may be an interest-free loan or a grant that you would not have to pay back.
Where can I find other help with energy and water bills?
Ofgem says you can ask your energy supplier to give you access to financial support called hardship funds, and to tell you about any schemes or grants it has. GOV.UK says you can contact Citizens Advice for information on grants and support to help you pay your energy bills. For water bills, GOV.UK points to the CCW website for how to reduce your bill and the support you may be able to get.
Know Your Rights UK. "Grants and Hardship Funds: Emergency Help in 2026." Know Your Rights UK, https://www.knowyourrightsuk.com/benefits/grants-and-hardship-funds