Bromley Council is set to allocate £8.9 million towards a new Crisis and Resilience Fund, aimed at supporting residents facing immediate financial hardship and building long-term community resilience. The fund, which will run from April 2026 to March 2029, will replace the Household Support Fund but with a reduced funding level and a more narrowly defined scope.
The Executive committee, during their meeting on Wednesday, 18 March 2026, approved the full utilisation of £2,980,643.52 of the fund in the 2026/27 financial year. This funding will be distributed across four strands: Crisis Payments, Housing Payments (which will replace Discretionary Housing Payments), Resilience Services, and Community Coordination.
Councillor Colin Smith, Leader of the Council, highlighted that the new funding model, introduced by the government, provides less financial support than the previous Household Support Fund, despite an increasing need for assistance among vulnerable residents. The Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF) allocation for 2026/27 is £2,980,643.52, a reduction compared to the Household Support Fund (HSF) allocation in 2025/26, which was £3,293,087.58. The CRF has a substantially reduced funding level and a more narrowly defined scope
compared to the HSF. The rationale behind the government's decision to reduce funding is not detailed in the provided text.
Eligibility and Crisis Definition
Eligibility for Crisis Payments is assessed against a low-income threshold set and reviewed by the Council for this scheme only. The Council considers the financial resources of the household, including savings and assets, to ensure support goes to those most in need. A crisis is defined as a pressing and immediate need requiring urgent action to prevent or reduce harm, such as the risk of going without essentials like food, heating, water, or other basic necessities. Circumstances may include sudden job loss or significant income reduction, delay or suspension of benefit payments, relationship breakdown, bereavement, domestic abuse, safeguarding emergencies, loss or breakdown of an essential household item, accidents, health emergencies, mental health crises, or major unforeseen events like fire or flood. Awards are discretionary and depend on need, evidence, and available funding.
The narrowed scope of the CRF means that support for households experiencing ongoing or sustained financial hardship, previously allowable under the HSF, can no longer be provided through this funding stream.
Instead, the focus will be on assistance for immediate crisis situations
. This shift means that vulnerable residents who previously qualified for broader, ongoing support under the HSF may no longer be eligible for sustained financial assistance through the CRF, with the emphasis now on immediate crisis intervention and preventative measures.
Resilience and Community Coordination
The CRF will allocate 65% of its funding (£1,289,138.16 for 2026/27) to Resilience and Community Coordination activities. These activities are designed to support preventative measures, advice, and community-based interventions aimed at reducing repeat crises and building longer-term stability. Expected outcomes include improved individual financial resilience and a stronger local support landscape. Specific activities mentioned include access to employment support, money and debt advice, welfare benefits uptake, income maximisation initiatives, and wider community-based services.
Bromley Council plans to work closely with local community organisations and partners, specifically Voluntary, Community and Faith Sector (VCFS) organisations, to strengthen preventative and early-intervention support. Their roles will include delivering key resilience activities such as advice, income maximisation, and employment support. The Council will use a practical, light touch approach to commissioning, using simple, outcomes focused grants
to support these organisations. These partners will also play a role in mapping existing services, identifying gaps, and building referral pathways to connect residents to support. The Council will also engage with people with lived experience to co-produce the support offer.
Delivery and Access
To facilitate the delivery of crisis payments, the council will extend its existing contract with Blackhawk Network, a provider with whom they have worked for nearly four years. This extension will ensure continued delivery of crisis payments in line with government guidance, offering a range of payment methods including cash-out options, prepaid debit cards, virtual cards, supermarket vouchers, and energy support.
Additionally, an inter-authority delivery arrangement with the London Borough of Bexley has been agreed for the crisis payment provision element of the fund. This collaboration aims to leverage established systems and staff to create a resilient and efficient service model.
The Council will promote the new funding so residents know how to get help. Applications can be made online through the Council's website, by calling the Crisis and Housing Support phone line, or with support from an advocate, friend, or family member. The delivery of Crisis Payments will use a cash-first approach wherever appropriate, with flexibility to provide another form of support if that better meets need,
ensuring support can be tailored to meet a wide range of needs, including varying levels of digital access.
The policy also states that assisted applications
will be provided for those who need help to apply, and that the scheme will be accessible, trauma-informed- and person-centred-
. Application channels will include assisted digital/telephone routes and reasonable adjustments for disability and language.
Measuring Success
The Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF) requires authorities to complete two six-monthly management information (MI) returns to the Department for Work and Pensions. These returns will detail how each element of the fund has been spent, including volumes, spend by support type, time from application to award, number of previous awards, awards by presenting crisis, and outcomes linked to resilience provision.
