Apply for Crisis Resilience Fund (CRF) Housing Payments

Extra payments to help you pay your rent if you’re already receiving Housing Benefit or housing cost payments from Universal Credit. They replaced Discretionary Housing Payments on 1 April 2026.

Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF) Housing Payments Policy

Introduction 

From 1 April 2026, Discretionary Housing Payments in England will cease to be delivered under the Discretionary Financial Assistance Regulations (2001), and the Housing Payments (Grants) Order (2001). This legislation will be revoked. Instead, Housing Payments in England will be incorporated into the CRF, delivered through a grant under Section 31 of the Local Government Act 2003. This policy has been amended, taking into account the name change; however, eligibility and policy objectives remain the same.

The CRF Housing Payment is designed to provide additional financial support towards housing costs. A Housing Payment can only be considered if the claimant is in receipt of either Housing Benefit (HB) or Universal credit (UC) with the housing element included for support with rental liability.

Housing Payment funding is limited and carries no statutory right to a payment, nor does it carry a right of appeal. All applications are subject to a fixed process and will be considered on their individual merits. This ensures decisions are fair, reasonable and consistent.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government provide us with a limited budget each financial year, under Section 31 of the Local Government Act 2003. Local Authorities can top-up their Housing Payment allocation using their own funding, to which there is no limit.

We are committed to supporting residents. Therefore, further referrals are sometimes made to other Local Authority (LA) departments and to our external partners to support our residents’ needs.

For the avoidance of doubt, Housing Payment can be used to cover some shortfalls between housing support and actual rent costs, rent deposit, rent in advance and costs associated with taking up a new tenancy such as removal costs. These costs are referred to in this policy as ‘housing costs.’

Purpose 

This policy sets out how we'll administer the CRF Housing Payments.

The funding allows the LA to provide temporary financial assistance, to allow residents to secure long-term changes in their circumstances, meaning their housing costs are more sustainable. In addition, longer term awards are also considered for residents with ongoing needs.

The CRF Housing Payment funding will be used to mitigate the impact of welfare reform and align with the LA’s vision, priorities and values set out in the Council Plan. Housing Payment awards will be made to support the objectives set out in this policy.

Objectives

The objectives for the administration of the CRF Housing Payment funding are set out to:

  • alleviate poverty, hardship and safeguard security of tenure
  • help with the prevention of eviction, prevent homelessness and reduce the need of temporary accommodation
  • support vulnerable and/or elderly residents in the community, including Care Leavers up to the age of 25, and ex Armed Forces personnel where additional help is likely to increase the chances that they will be able to sustain a stable and secure home
  • help people through family crisis or difficult life events and support in keeping families together
  • encourage and sustain residents in employment within Westmorland and Furness
  • safeguarding residents in the home where possible
  • support moves to sustainable tenancies that provides an improved long term solution to residents meeting their housing costs
  • assist those who are in substantially adapted accommodation

We focus on positive results for residents and will work collaboratively to maximise income throughout the area.

Eligibility 

For a CRF Housing Payment to be considered, the applicant must:

  • be in receipt of Housing Benefit or receiving the Housing Element of Universal Credit
  • be liable for the housing cost
  • and require further financial assistance with the relevant house cost(s)

Consequently, applications can only be considered for periods where all of the above conditions are satisfied.

There are certain costs that make up a resident’s total rent that both Housing Benefit and Universal Credit exclude. Therefore, they cannot be included as a housing cost for the purposes of CRF Housing Payment support. These costs include:

  • ineligible service charges
  • increases in rent due to outstanding rent arrears
  • certain sanctions and reductions in benefit
  • benefit suspensions
  • shortfalls caused by Housing Benefit or Universal Credit over-payment recovery

A CRF Housing Payment application including a request for backdating will be considered on its own merits. Backdating will only apply in exceptional circumstances where applicants can demonstrate continuous ‘good cause’ (good reasons) for the whole of the backdate period for why they were unable to claim sooner. Please note the applicant must be in receipt of Housing Benefit or the Housing Element of Universal Credit for the backdate period.

Where an individual cannot access a CRF Housing Payment, either because they are not eligible (in other words, not entitled to a qualifying benefit or owner-occupiers) or the Housing Payment allocation has been

exhausted, they may be able to access further financial assistance through the Authority’s Crisis Payment scheme, if they are deemed eligible. Referral pathways are in place within the Council.

Application and decision making process

A claim must be made by using either the online claim form or by hand, using a paper form which can be provided upon request. 

Find the claim forms for Barrow, Eden and South Lakeland areas

If support is required in the completion of the form, residents can contact the Customer Service Team for further guidance. Reasonable adjustments can be made where required.

Any further supporting evidence should be provided within one month of the LA’s request unless there are good reasons for the delay. If the required proofs are not provided within the designated period, it is likely that applications will be refused. No costs shall be borne by the Council in the provision of requested evidence.

The resident who meets the eligibility criteria and who will receive the support (known as the ‘claimant’) must make the application. Alternatively, the claimant’s official appointee can make an application. An official appointee is a person who has been authorised by the claimant to act on their behalf in writing, authorised by the Department for Work and Pensions to act on the claimant’s behalf or who holds power of attorney for the claimant.

The target for claims to be determined is within 14 days of the receipt of all required evidence.

We may conduct further checks both internally and externally for the purposes of administering the CRF Housing Payment allocation. Referrals to other agencies or LA departments may also be recommended.

In making an award, the LA decision maker may consider:

  • whether previous applications have been made
  • claimant willingness to resolve their housing issue(s)
  • any planned action a claimant has taken to improve their situation

The LA will assess claimants income and expenditure to help determine whether further financial assistance towards their housing costs is appropriate.

Where additional help for ex-members of the Armed Forces is likely to increase the chances of that resident securing and sustaining a stable home, payments of War Pensions, payments made under the Armed Forces Compensation scheme, Service Invaliding Pensions and Service and Service Attributable Pensions will be disregarded on a case by case basis when considering a CRF Housing Payment for an ex-member of the armed forces.

The LA will take into consideration all aspects of the application and claimant circumstances to align decisions with the objectives of this scheme.

By making an application for CRF Housing Payment, the resident grants permission for the LA to access information already available to them to determine the outcome of an application.

Period of award

In normal circumstances, a CRF Housing Payment award will be payable for 26 weeks, though this will depend on the applicants circumstances and budget. This period is subject to change and applications may result in shorter or longer awards which will be assessed on a case by case basis. A CRF Housing Payment award is payable for a maximum on 52 weeks within a single financial year.

Awards will often be made over a short term period but this can be extended on a case by case basis. The nature of the funding is to provide a bridging support to enable residents to improve their position or move past a difficult period of change.

Awards can be made over the longer term if the claimant resides in property, which is significantly adapted to meet the needs of a household members disability. The relevant household member must both require the adaptation to meet the needs of their disability and be expected to require the adaptation for the duration of the award.

Each award is considered on its own merits and will be made over a period specific to each application. Any change in circumstances, including both financial and personal, may result in awards being adjusted accordingly.

Payments 

A CRF Housing Payment award is normally calculated to be a weekly or monthly amount. The amount awarded cannot exceed the difference between the weekly Housing Benefit and the eligible rent. For applicants who are in receipt of Universal Credit for support with their rent, an award cannot exceed the monthly Housing Element.

If an award is made for rent in advance, rent deposits or moving costs, the award is not subject to same restrictions detailed in 21. This is because these are considered “one-off” awards.

A CRF Housing Payment award can be paid directly to the applicants specified account, a landlord, a managing agent or a company providing the support with the housing cost (such as a removals company carrying out a removal).

Changes of circumstance 

If a resident is in receipt of CRF Housing Payment, they have a duty to report all changes in their circumstances. 

Read how to report a change in circumstances 

A change in circumstance is defined in the same way as those requiring notification for Housing Benefit and/or Universal Credit purposes.

CRF Housing Payment awards are subject to change and can be reduced or ended as a result of a change in circumstance.

Overpayments 

The LA will consider the recovery of a CRF Housing Payment if it is decided that the award has been overpaid as a result of:

  • a misrepresentation or failure to disclose a material fact by the claimant, or
  • an error was made when the application was determined

A CRF Housing Payment cannot and will not be recovered from an ongoing Housing Benefit or Universal Credit award. There are no provisions to recover from other relevant benefits.

Reconsiderations

If an applicant disagrees with a CRF Housing Payment decision, the recourse available to them is to ask for the decision to be looked at again in writing. The dispute must be lodged within one calendar month of the disputed decision notice.

The reconsideration will be conducted by a decision maker who was not involved in the original decision making process.

A decision on a CRF Housing Payment does not carry a right of appeal to a Social Security Tribunal. The route of a judicial review is available; and a complaint may be made to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman if there is an allegation of maladministration or discrimination.

Funding 

The LA is permitted to supplement the CRF Housing Payment budget from the Central Government contribution by an unlimited amount should it chose to do so.

The CRF Housing Payment budget is closely monitored throughout the year. If there is a significant change to factors affecting the fund (such as increased demand), then the LA may consider adding to the central government contribution.

Legal considerations

This policy is based upon and/or may make reference to the following provisions (as amended):

  • Section 31 of the Local Goverment Act 2003
  • the Housing Benefit Regulations 2006
  • the Universal Credit Regulations 2013

This policy is also supported and guided by the Crisis and Resilience Fund: Guidance for local authorities in England (1 April 2026 to 31 March 2029).