Get emergency foodResetting local crisis support in England
Recommendations for the new Crisis and Resilience Fund
This joint report by Trussell and Policy in Practice presents our recommendations for the new Crisis and Resilience Fund to ensure it delivers effective support to people faced with a financial crisis and plays a role in ending the need for food banks.
Download report
From April 2026, a new, three-year Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF) will enable local authorities in England to support people facing immediate financial hardship and help households strengthen their financial resilience.
We have long been clear on the need for a new approach to local crisis support in England that prioritises cash-first support to help people through a sudden financial crisis, connected to the right advice and wider support to prevent sustained hardship.
The commitment to multi-year funding for the CRF is extremely welcome. It is the kind of investment that can provide a lifeline to people when they are struggling to cope with the cost of living and reduce the need for emergency food to fill the gap in a crisis, as well as helping people onto a more secure financial footing for the future.
Our recommendations
While the CRF cannot solve the persistent hardship in our communities, which stems from problems in the design and delivery of the social security system, it represents a major opportunity to reset how local crisis support is provided in England.
When planning the delivery of the CRF, we are calling on the UK government and local authorities to prioritise:
- A cash-first, needs-led approach to crisis support. This means prioritising cash payments for people facing a financial crisis, with flexibility to provide alternative support to suit individual needs and ensure value for money e.g. direct provision of furniture or appliances. This is the most effective and dignified approach, providing speed, choice, and flexibility. Crisis payments should also be closely connected to advice and wider support to help prevent future crises.
- Tackling the drivers of financial crisis, not the symptom of food insecurity. An inability to afford food is a symptom of not having enough money to afford the essentials, including rent, energy, clothes, and transport. Free and low-cost food is neither the best form of crisis support, nor a preventative measure that builds financial resilience and should not be a priority for the CRF.
- Preventative support and building financial resilience for people most at risk of financial crisis. Local authorities should be encouraged to use the CRF to invest in effective models of support that increase access to income and advice for people facing financial crisis and reduce the need for emergency food parcels.
- A systematic approach to monitoring and evaluating outcomes. An agreed approach to collecting data on outcomes is essential for understanding the impact of the CRF and learning where improvements can be made.
Join the webinar
On 21 January 2026, we will be taking part in a webinar, hosted by Policy in Practice, to discuss the analysis and recommendations in this report. The webinar is open to any organisations with an interest in the CRF and will be particularly relevant to local authorities, as well as voluntary and community sector organisations involved in supporting people at risk of financial hardship.