Home-Start Central Lancashire
There for parents when they need us most,
because childhood can't wait
Crisis and Resilience Fund – Open Monday 10th August 2026 – 31st March 2027
Chorley Council have received funding from the government for the Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF)
The government has introduced the Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF) to support people in financial crisis. The CRF replaces the Household Support Fund (HSF), which ended on 31 March 2026. The fund brings together immediate crisis support and longer-term assistance to help households improve their financial resilience and wellbeing.
The CRF is designed to provide a balanced approach by offering:
- Short-term crisis support for urgent and unexpected financial hardship.
- Longer-term resilience support to help households stabilise their finances and reduce the risk of future crisis.
The aim is not only to help people through immediate difficulties but also to help reduce repeat crises by linking residents to wider support where appropriate and helping to improve financial resilience and long-term wellbeing.
Note: The household does not need to be in receipt of benefits to be eligible
The Crisis and Resilience Fund is funded by the UK Government.
View Crisis and Resilience Fund guidance on the GOV.UK website for more information.
Access to support will reopen on 10th August until 31st March 2027 or until the funding is fully allocated
Please complete the application form below following the guidelines, then return to admin@homestartcentrallancs.org.uk
Please note – We will require proof of child benefit and the 2 most recent months’ bank statements before approving any applications. Failure to complete the application in full will result in the application being returned until the supporting documentation has been recieved. We will not tolerate any verbal abuse from applications
This is only available for Chorley Borough residents. If outside of Chorley Borough, your application will not be processed. Please contact your local council for details on your area’s fund.
What support is available?
Depending on individual circumstances, support may include:
- Emergency help with essential food and household items.
- Short-term financial assistance following an unexpected change in circumstances.
- Support to stabilise household finances and reduce ongoing financial pressures.
- Access to advice, guidance and local services that help build financial resilience.
How support is delivered
Support is provided locally through established council and community arrangements.
When applying, you will be asked to provide information about:
- Your immediate need.
- Any longer-term support you may require to help prevent future difficulties.
Where appropriate, assistance may include both direct financial support and referral to services that can help improve longer-term financial resilience.
Who can apply?
Applications are assessed on a needs-based approach.
The household does not need to be in receipt of benefits to be eligible
Home-Start Central Lancashire may provide support to residents who have experienced a financial shock, such as:
- A sudden unexpected expense.
- A significant and unexpected reduction in income.
Additional Support
As part of the application process, applicants will be referred to other crisis and resilience support partners for further support
- Debt management
- Benefits advice
- Budgeting and money management
- Family support
- etc.
This helps ensure residents receive both immediate assistance and support to improve their longer-term financial situation.
If you feel you meet the above you can apply for support
Eligibility criteria and assessment
The first stage of eligibility requires that an applicant meet the following basic initial criteria to be assessed:
- resident in Chorley
- be on low income and do not have sufficient resources to resolve the immediate crisis without incurring unmanageable debt or going without essentials such as food
- the property is your only property and your main residence
- you are the main household resident responsible for the household bills
- aged 16+
- be willing to accept a referral to an appropriate Resilience Service to address underlying issues that have led to a crisis situation e.g. benefits support, employment or housing advice
- understand that should a Crisis Payment be made, the household becomes ineligible for a further Crisis Payment for a period of 6 months, unless the relevant Resilience Service supports their application
Each application will then be assessed as to whether the individual circumstances would be considered to be at the level of an immediate ‘crisis’.
Crisis support/payments are there to help with urgent short-term need and are not an alternative source of regular income.
Examples of a ‘crisis’ include (but are not limited to):
- disasters (normally unforeseen and result in significant damage to, or loss of, possessions or property, such as flood, fire etc.)
- accidents or health emergency/mental health crisis (leading to unplanned spending or incurring increased expenses)
- domestic abuse (where a person is leaving an abusive relationship/partner and needs immediate help with moving and setting up a new home)
- breakage and theft (breakage of an essential item, for example a boiler, medical equipment or white goods / where money has been lost or stolen and living expenses are required)
- short-term income gap (for example, an applicant has a short-term gap in regular income such as redundancy or a significant change in working pattern)
What support is provided
We will select the most appropriate method of support to address the immediate need/crisis.
Support is considered on the basis of your individual circumstances, the nature of the crisis, the evidence of need and the funding available. There is no guarantee that a specific item or form of support will be provided.
To support an applicant at their time of crisis, the following Crisis Payments can be made to support (examples but not only options):
- food
- water including drinking, washing, cooking, as well as for sanitary purposes and sewerage
- housing costs
- period and hygiene products
- clothing including uniform, warm winter clothing and shoes
- essential furniture and appliances such as beds and bedding, washing machines, window coverings and carpets, fridge-freezers and ovens
- essential transport-related costs such as repairing a car, buying a bicycle or bus pass or paying for fuel
- digital and connectivity essentials such as broadband or phone bills
What you need to provide
When you apply, you will be asked to provide:
- proof of address
- evidence of household income, savings and financial circumstances
- proof of receipt of child benefit
- details about the crisis and how it is impacting your household
We may request further reasonable evidence.
What Happens Next
On receipt of your application, Home-Start Central Lancashire will
- Validate the application by checking that the applicant is a resident within Chorley, and there is a child under the age of 19 for whom child benefit is received
- If further information is required or the documents provided need to be clarified, this will be requested by Home-Start Central Lancashire
- Assess and determine if the application meets the requirements of a ‘crisis’
If the criteria are met for a crisis measure/payment, the applicant will be notified, and support/payment will be made
If it does not meet the criteria for a crisis payment, there may be other support that can be provided directly through the council or through partners working with the council as part of the Crisis and Resilience Fund. We will discuss with the applicant the different types of support available and provide an introduction to that service/support.
The decision of Home-Start Central Lancashire is final, and there is no appeal route.
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