Bexley Council has launched a new crisis and resilience fund, combining discretionary housing payments and the household support fund, to assist residents facing financial hardship. The fund, which will be open from April 1, aims to provide support to individuals experiencing a crisis.
The announcement was made by Councillor Stefano Borella, Leader of the Labour Group and Shadow Cabinet Member for Corporate Policy and Budget, during a meeting of the Finance & Corporate Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee on Wednesday, March 25, 2026. The meeting agenda can be found here.
Councillor Borella explained that while the discretionary housing payment element remains largely unchanged, the crisis and resilience fund component differs significantly from the previous household support fund, with reduced flexibility. The housing element is still a lift and shift of discretionary housing payments. The crisis and resilience fund element is quite different to the old household support fund. The kind of flexibilities that we have are no longer there,
he stated.
The new crisis and resilience fund will introduce a crisis payment
for members of the public who are in crisis and need to apply for funding. The council is also collaborating with voluntary sector partners to deliver resilience services. These services will be a mandatory referral point for those receiving crisis payments, a requirement stemming from updated guidance. This initiative is part of a broader effort to enhance community coordination and support.
Councillor Mrs June Slaughter MBE, a member of the Finance & Corporate Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee, was present at the meeting. Other documents related to the committee's work include the Final minutes 4 Feb 2026, Disclosures of Interest and Dispensations, and the Work programme Report.
