The Crisis and Resilience Fund (GOV.UK) is a UK Government-funded scheme that helps people on low incomes who face unexpected financial problems. It also supports organisations that help people and communities become more financially resilient.
Surrey County Council receive £7.1 million each year through the fund to support residents across Surrey. The fund is available from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2029 and replaces the Household Support Fund, which ended in March 2026.
How the fund is administered and what it covers
In Surrey, the Crisis and Resilience Fund is administered locally as follows:
- Surrey Crisis Payments are provided by Surrey County Council. They provide short-term emergency support to people facing a financial crisis. Help is available with essential household costs, including food, energy bills, transport, furniture and appliances.
- Housing payments provide help with housing costs or housing-related emergencies. They are designed to help prevent homelessness or support people in keeping or finding a home. The payments are administered by district and borough councils.
- Financial resilience services and community co-ordination opportunities provides funding for voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE) organisations. This funding is for delivery of financial resilience and community support services. There are two ways organisations can get involved.
Frequently asked questions
UK Government guidelines for how the Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF) should be provided show consideration for how the needs of affected families will continue to be met through the CRF. This includes:-
- Ensuring families eligible for Free School Meals are aware of and can access Resilience Services that enable them to handle future money challenges. Particularly support to ensure families are claiming all the welfare support they are entitled to.
- Co-ordination with the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme, which supports children from lower-income families by providing free meals and activities during school holidays. Local Authorities can choose to use the CRF funding to supplement or expand the HAF provision, where it aligns with the Fund’s outcomes on resilience.
- Working with schools and Family Hubs to support families who may be struggling to afford enough food.
- Community food support that tests new and innovative approaches.
Funding has now been allocated to provide targeted support to families and young people experiencing the greatest need during the summer months. The funding has been provided to selected community organisations to cover the costs of preparation and distribution of food services (food parcels, meal provision, food pantries, community food programmes). These organisations within Surrey are known to already have direct contact with families who are most in need.
Free School Meals (FSM) Holiday Vouchers had been made possible by the yearly Household Support Fund (HSF) from UK Government. The last round of HSF 7 funding ended on 31 March 2026. FSM Holiday Vouchers were funded to families in Surrey from HSF7 and covered until the end of the Easter 2026 school holidays.
Free School Meals Vouchers
Free School Meals Vouchers were provided to families for the May 2026 half term school holidays from the Crisis and Resilience Fund. Schools and families were made aware no FSM holiday vouchers would be provided for the Summer holidays.
Holiday Activity and Food (HAF) camps
These camps known as ‘Club4’ in Surrey will continue to run in the summer school holidays and offer healthy food and fun activities for eligible children who are aged 4 to 16 and are in receipt of Benefits Related Free School Meals. These will continue in Surrey.
We are working with partners and those people with lived experience to ensure we set up a number of ways for delivering this funding to the right people, in the easiest way possible to suit their needs.
Crisis Payments are available as short-term, emergency help for people who have had immediate money crises and can’t meet essential day-to-day needs such as food and heating. Please check the Crisis Payments web pages to see if you are eligible to make an application.
Government announced funding for low income households who use heating oil on Monday 16 March 2026. Surrey County Council has financial support available for residents who:
- Use oil as their main source of heating, and
- Are struggling financially - this means on benefits or annual income is below the London Living Wage (£28,860)
Find out more by visiting our web page: Help with oil heating costs.
No, the last application window closed in March 2026 when the Household Support Fund 7 funding came to an end.
As soon as it is available this website will be updated with further information on what support will be available for low-income families, and how it can be accessed.