Leicestershire County Council has a zero-tolerance approach to fraud and corruption in all its forms. The council will take all necessary steps to identify, investigate and disrupt instances of fraud and take appropriate action against any individuals or organisations involved in fraud or corruption.
The fund provides short-term emergency financial support to help you deal with an unexpected financial crisis, alongside pointing you to services that can help you become more financially secure over time.
We recognise that households with a lower income can experience sudden financial shocks that leave you unable to meet basic essential needs such as food, fuel or other necessities.
Eligibility | Apply | What happens next
About the fund
The CRF is designed to support households who are experiencing a one-off financial crisis.
It is intended to:
- Help households through an immediate crisis
- Support access to essential items or services
- Enable referral to longer-term support where appropriate
Each application is assessed on its own circumstances. An application to the fund will not affect your benefit status.
Correct use of the fund
The CRF cannot usually be used for:
- Ongoing low income or long-term financial hardship without a crisis event
- Repayment of debts or arrears
- Costs that are not essential to basic living
- Expenses that could reasonably be met through other statutory provision or insurance
- People with No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF), including many asylum seekers. If you have NRPF, we may still be able to advise you about other support available.
Experiencing a financial crisis
A financial crisis is a sudden and unexpected event that has left your household unable to meet basic essential needs.
Crisis events are defined as:
- Disasters – a significant event causing severe disruption or damage to your living situation for example fire, flood, property damage, heating oil
- Accidents – an unforeseen incident creating an immediate financial or practical crisis for example a road traffic accident leading to loss of transport needed for work
- Health crises – a sudden medical condition causing financial or practical difficulty for example sudden illness preventing work, emergency hospital admission, new diagnosis resulting in unexpected costs.
- Household relationship breakdown – where one or more people must leave the home and secure alternative accommodation, particularly where this relates to domestic abuse or safety for example fleeing domestic abuse, urgent rehousing, safety related separation
- Essential item breakdown – loss or failure of an essential household item due to damage, theft or breakdown
- Unexpected loss of income – a sudden and unforeseen reduction in household income for example sudden job loss or redundancy, delay of benefit payments, sudden need to reduce hours.
The examples listed under each crisis category are illustrative and not exhaustive. Each application is assessed on its individual circumstances.
Eligibility
Applications must be made by a member of the household. Support is assessed at household level, not per individual.
To be eligible, you must:
- Be 16 years or over
- Be a resident of Leicestershire, but not a city resident (check using your postcode at Find your local council | GOV.UK)
- Be able to verify your identity and address
- Be part of a low income household, with or without children
- Be experiencing a financial crisis event as described above (the crisis can have happened up to 2 months before)
- Be unable to meet essential needs due to a lack of available funds due to the crisis event
- Be able to provide evidence of both the crisis and your financial situation
- Apply through one of the approved application routes
A professional referral is not required.
Low income
Low income is assessed using annual household income (after tax and National Insurance) and before housing costs, taking into account household size and make‑up.
Guide to income levels
Your income
| Household type | Approximate annual income before housing costs |
|---|---|
| Single adult (no children) | ~£15,000 |
| Couple (no children) | ~£22,000 |
| Couple with 1 child | ~£26,000 to £27,000 |
| Couple with 2 children | ~£30,000+ |
These guide levels are not strict cut‑offs. Every application is considered alongside:
- Evidence of household income and essential expenditure
- The nature and severity of the crisis event
- The household’s immediate financial position and ability to meet essential needs
The scheme is aimed primarily at households, including those of a pensionable age, on a low income, but we recognise that some households with slightly higher incomes may still experience a significant or exceptional crisis.
For all households, we will consider the amount of savings you have, with savings above approximately £1,600 taken into account as part of the assessment.
If your income is above the guide figures, you may still be eligible where there is clear evidence of financial hardship linked to the crisis. Applications in this situation will be assessed on a case‑by‑case basis.
Being above the guide income levels does not automatically exclude you, but it also does not guarantee support.
Financial support you may get
Awards are evidence based and depend on household need, income and savings. Support may include:
Eligibility amounts
Amount you may get
| Item | Amounts up to: |
|---|---|
| Food | £20 per adult / £15 per child per week (Maximum 2 weeks) |
| Hygiene products | £20 per household |
| Energy and LPG | £98 per household or £56 per single household |
| Heating Oil | Payments to households with solid fuel or heating oil will be evidence based, up to £200 |
| Water Utility | £45 per household |
| Digital connectivity | £28 per household |
| Clothing | evidence based, up to £100 |
| Transport | evidence based, up to £200 |
| Furniture and appliances | up to 2 items |
If your crisis relates to housing, please contact your borough or district council housing team.
Apply for the award
Before applying
You will need to provide the following information when you complete your application or call an agent:
- Proof of identity (ID)
- For example, passport, driving licence, birth or marriage certificate for the individual who is applying
- Evidence of all income and expenditure for your household
- Bank statements for the last 2 months, for all accounts, held by each adult in your household. You must include statements for all savings accounts too
- Supporting evidence which demonstrates your financial crisis, such as:
- Bills, invoices or arrears letters
- Quotes or receipts for essential items or repairs
- Evidence of loss of income or benefit applications
- Medical documentation
- Crime reference number or fire incident number
Note: We may cancel your application if you fail to provide evidence. Evidence can be as a document, for example a PDF or image, but the text must be legible.
Apply online (fastest option)
The quickest and easiest way to apply is using the online application form below.
You will be asked to:
- Describe your crisis
- Upload bank statements and supporting evidence
See our fair processing notice to find out how we will process your information.
Apply by phone
If you cannot apply online, you can apply by phone with support from an agent.
Please note:
- Phone applications may take longer due to demand
- Evidence will need to be provided by email
- You'll need to provide an email address to the agent. This does not have to be your email. You'll need to be able to send your evidence through this email address.
Phone: 0116 305 4286 (Option 4) Monday to Thursday 9am to 4.30pm, Friday 9am to 4pm.
All applicants must show our staff respect and use appropriate language when speaking to the advisor. If the advisor feels disrespected or threatened in anyway the application will be terminated. Calls are recorded for monitoring purposes.
What happens next
- Applications are assessed as quickly as possible during working hours: Monday to Thursday (9am to 5pm) Friday (9am to 4.30pm)
- After submitting your form online, you'll be contacted by our advisors.
- Our advisors will have a conversation with you about your situation to assess eligibility
- Demand is high and we aim to process your application in 10 working days
Repeat applications
The Crisis and Resilience Fund is intended to support households through exceptional, short-term crises.
- Support is intended to provide short‑term assistance and is limited to one award per household within a 6‑month period.
- All repeat applications are subject to additional scrutiny
- Repeat applications are not expected and will only be considered where there is evidence of a new or significantly changed crisis.
Important information about the awards
- Awards are not guaranteed
- All awards are made at the discretion of the local authority
- Decisions are based on evidence, household circumstances, and your available funding
- Providing false or misleading information may result in refusal or recovery of funds
Other support
Benefits for families - You and your family may be able to claim benefits or get financial help.
Benefits for adults - Find out if you can claim benefits or get financial help.
Find help with cost of living - There are funds, programmes, and services to help you and your family get through difficult times.
Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) - A free holiday programme for school-aged children and young people receiving benefits-related free school meals.
Health and wellbeing - Get involved and improve your health.