If you are struggling with the cost of essentials like food and energy, your local council may be able to help through a hardship fund. For several years this was the Household Support Fund, and from April 2026 it is being replaced by a new scheme. This guide explains the help available from your council for essential costs, how the funding has changed, and how to apply.
From Household Support Fund to Crisis and Resilience Fund
The Household Support Fund gave councils money to help residents with essentials such as food, energy and other basic costs. It ran for several years and was extended a number of times. From April 2026, it is being replaced by a new Crisis and Resilience Fund, which continues the idea of giving councils funding to help people facing hardship, with a focus on helping households recover and become more financially secure rather than lurching from crisis to crisis.
What the help can cover
The kind of help available through these council schemes typically includes support with food, such as vouchers or referrals to food support, help with energy and water bills, and assistance with other essential costs like household items. Exactly what is on offer depends on your council, as each runs its own local scheme and decides how to use its funding, so the help varies from one area to another.
You do not always need to be on benefits
An important point is that you do not always have to be receiving benefits to get help from these funds. They are aimed at people on a low income or facing financial hardship, which can include people who are working but struggling, or who have had a sudden drop in income or an unexpected expense. So even if you are not on benefits, it is worth checking whether your council can help if money is tight.
How to apply
You apply through your local council, and the way to do this varies. Some councils have an online application form, others ask you to apply by phone or through a local organisation such as a food bank or advice centre, and some make awards automatically to certain groups. The best starting point is your council's website or a quick call to find out how their scheme works and whether you might qualify.
Local welfare assistance
As well as the main hardship fund, many councils run a separate local welfare assistance scheme, sometimes under different names, which can help in an emergency or crisis, for example with the cost of essential household items, food, or fuel after an unexpected event. If you are in a genuine crisis, ask your council whether they have such a scheme, as it can provide quick help when you have nowhere else to turn.
Other help alongside it
Council hardship help is often most useful alongside other support. If you are struggling, it is worth checking you are getting all the benefits you are entitled to, applying for a Budgeting Advance for a one-off cost if you are on Universal Credit, and looking into help with energy bills such as the Warm Home Discount. A benefits check can make sure you are not missing other support while you deal with the immediate problem.
Acting quickly in a crisis
If you are facing a real crisis, such as having no money for food or energy, do not wait. Contact your council, ask about emergency help, and get advice straight away, as there are schemes designed for exactly these situations. Local advice agencies and food banks can also help quickly and point you to the right support, so reach out rather than going without essentials.
Food banks and food support
If you are struggling to afford food, councils and local organisations can often refer you to a food bank or other food support, and the hardship fund may provide supermarket vouchers. There is no shame in using a food bank when times are hard; they exist precisely to help people through a difficult patch. Your council, Citizens Advice or a local advice centre can refer you or tell you where to get food help quickly if you need it.
Help with energy debts
If you have fallen behind on your gas or electricity, council hardship help may assist, and there are other routes too. Your energy supplier may have a hardship fund or be able to agree an affordable payment plan, and some charitable grants help with energy debts. If you are in difficulty with your energy bills, contact your supplier early and get advice, as there is often more help available than people expect.
It is worth asking
Because these schemes vary so much between councils and are not always well publicised, many people who could get help never ask for it. If you are on a low income or facing a financial shock, it is always worth contacting your council to ask what help is available, even if you are not sure you qualify. The worst that can happen is they say no, and you may find there is support you did not know existed.
Charitable grants
Alongside council help, there are many charities that give grants to people in financial need, which do not have to be repaid. Some are based on your circumstances, occupation, or a particular need, and others on where you live. Searching a grants database, or asking an adviser, can reveal help you would never have known about. If you are struggling and council help is limited, charitable grants are well worth exploring as another source of support.
Getting a full benefits check
One of the most valuable things to do if you are struggling with the cost of living is to get a full benefits check, because many people are missing out on benefits they are entitled to. An adviser can make sure you are claiming everything, from Universal Credit elements to Pension Credit, Council Tax Reduction and disability benefits. Maximising your regular income in this way often does more good than one-off help, so it is worth doing alongside any crisis support.
In short
Your council can help with essential costs through a hardship fund, which from April 2026 is the new Crisis and Resilience Fund, replacing the Household Support Fund. It can help with food, energy and other essentials, and you do not always need to be on benefits. Apply through your council, and ask about local welfare assistance if you are in a crisis.
Help is there when you need it
The most important message is that if you are facing real hardship, you do not have to manage alone. Between your council's hardship fund, local welfare assistance, charitable grants and a full benefits check, there is usually some help available. The hardest step is often simply asking for help, but advice agencies and councils are there for exactly these situations, so it is always best to reach out early rather than waiting until a difficult situation becomes a full crisis.
Where to get help
Your council and Citizens Advice can tell you about local hardship help. See our guides to the Warm Home Discount and Budgeting Advances for more help with essential costs.
Related guides: the benefit cap, broadband and mobile social tariffs, the Funeral Expenses Payment, help with NHS health costs and help with water bills.