South Hams District Council: Crisis and Resilience Fund

The Crisis and Resilience Fund is designed to offer more targeted help to people facing sudden financial difficulties, while also supporting longer term financial resilience.

The funding will be used to help people on low incomes who experience an unexpected financial shock, such as a sudden loss of income or an essential cost they cannot afford.

There are four components to the fund:

• Crisis payments – via an application process with wraparound support
• Housing payments – which will replace the Discretionary Housing Payments
• Wraparound financial services – such as advice and support to help residents manage their money and avoid future crises
• Resilience services – to help individual and communities that support each other and bring voluntary sector community enterprises together to support individuals

There is no definitive description of what a crisis is, but it may include:

• Disasters – these will normally be unforeseen and result in significant damage to, or loss of, possessions or property, such as a serious flood or fire, gas explosion or a chemical leak
• Accident or health emergency – accident, health emergency or mental health crisis, leading to unplanned spending or incurring increased expenses
• Household relationship breakdown – when an applicant is experiencing domestic abuse and leaving an abusive relationship/partner and needs immediate help, such as moving into an unfurnished property and needing help with furniture and appliances
• Essential item breakdown – breakage of an essential item, for example a boiler, medical equipment or white goods
• Unexpected loss of money – where money has been lost or stolen and living expenses are required
• Unexpected loss of income – when the applicant has a short-term gap in regular income, for example, due to redundancy or a significant change in working pattern

To be eligible for the fund, you must:

• live in South Hams District Council area as your main residence
• evidence that you are on a low income and are facing an unexpected financial shock and need financial crisis support, and/or evidence that financial resilience (wraparound) support would be beneficial
• be 16 years of age or over

Low income for Crisis and Resilience Fund scheme will be households in receipt of benefits (e.g. Universal Credit or Council Tax Support etc.) or facing an immediate unexpected crisis (e.g. job loss or energy fuel need etc.).

For more information contact Cllr Lawson via Slapton Parish Council – clerk@slaptonparishcouncil-devon.gov.uk – or go to Crisis and Resilience Fund | South Hams District Council