A new era for crisis support in England?

This week, the DWP published guidance for local authorities on the new Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF), which is set to replace the Household Support Fund from April 2026. The guidance is a major milestone in Trussell’s campaigning for a new, long-term approach to local crisis support in England and represents important progress in delivering the UK government's manifesto commitment to end the need for emergency food.

Every day, food banks see how people living on the lowest incomes can be quickly tipped into crisis by an unexpected cost or financial shock such as illness or a job loss. Effective crisis support is crucial to prevent people from falling into severe hardship, so they can still afford the essentials we all need.

While the Household Support Fund (HSF) provided a lifeline to some people unable to get by in the face of rising costs, the short-term funding rounds limited how effective it could be. In a positive shift towards a longer-term approach, the CRF provides three years of guaranteed funding for local authorities to support people who may otherwise need to turn to a food bank.  

Unlike its predecessor, the CRF has been co-designed with local authorities and anti-poverty sector organisations including Trussell and other members of the Crisis Support Working Group, and the guidance draws directly on the evidence and insights from the Trussell community of food banks.  

A shift towards cash-first (and away from food-focused) support

Most notably, the guidance recommends prioritising cash payments over other forms of support for people facing financial crisis. There is clear evidence that offering cash grants, rather than shopping vouchers or food parcels, is the most effective and dignified way to help in a financial crisis, offering the speed, choice and flexibility needed to prevent hardship from escalating.  

Local authorities will still have the flexibility to provide alternative support to suit individual needs and ensure value for money, for example by directly providing essential furniture or appliances. This person-centred support is key to a cash-first, but not cash-only approach to local crisis support, as is the close connection between crisis payments and advice and wider support that make it less likely someone will need crisis support in the future.  

Preventative support and building financial resilience for people most at risk of financial crisis

As well as making improvements to local crisis support, local authorities will be required to use some of their CRF allocation to fund and enhance services that help build individual financial resilience including local advice services.  

The CRF is also intended to ensure better coordination of support within communities by enabling local authorities to invest in effective partnerships and referral systems, making it easier for people to access the support they need.

Crucially, local authorities are encouraged to use the CRF to ensure people receive preventative advice and support before they reach crisis point.  

An important milestone in our mission to end the need for food banks, but there is more to do

The guidance makes clear that the CRF aims to reduce the need for emergency food parcels and, if local authorities put the guidance into practice, we can expect to see progress towards this shared goal.  

We should celebrate this important milestone in our mission, whilst recognising there is more work to do to end the need for food banks for good. The CRF is vital, but is not a substitute for the deeper reforms needed to the inadequate rates of social security which fail to protect people from going without the essentials day to day and drive hunger and hardship in the UK.  

Supporting local authorities to put the guidance into practice

Local authorities will now need to work quickly to plan and deliver the CRF locally. The phased approach to incorporating Discretionary Housing Payments into the CRF is sensible and provides more time for councils to join up their discretionary housing support with other crisis support.  

It is important that local authorities have sufficient time and support to plan their CRF delivery well, even if that means not having every aspect of support in place by 1 April. They should also have the flexibility to develop services and support over the course of the three-year fund.  

The CRF is an opportunity to do more for people facing hunger and hardship, and we look forward to working in partnership with local authorities to support with designing and delivering cash-first crisis support and building more financially resilient communities.