Crisis and Resilience Fund Information Session and Workshop - 9 March 2026

On Monday 9 March 2026, we welcomed Joanna Hall and Beverley Grimster from Gloucestershire County Council (GCC) to talk to us about the new Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF) starting on 1 April 2026.

You can view the recording of the session here: Crisis and Resilience Fund Information Session and Workshop recording

You can view the session slides here: Crisis and Resilience Fund Information Session and Workshop slides

The Questions and Answers from the session are below, or you can view a PDF version here: Crisis and Resilience Fund Information Session and Workshop Q&A

Questions and Answers from the session

Q: Is part of the funding going to relate to providing additional support? Sometimes the initial funding just “pauses” the crisis and gives people the headspace to think, but longer-term support is needed.
A: Absolutely. As you know, we haven’t got much time until the 1st of April, so the Department for Work and Pensions are not expecting us to have an all-singing, all-dancing offer ready to go from then.

What we will do first is focus on what needs to happen initially, which is establishing the crisis support application system. Moving forward, we will build networks with organisations and develop collaborative working so that we can improve the offer over the next three years.

Q: Is there a plan for the transition period? I read that applications for the Household Support Fund will end on the 16th. What is the timeframe until people can actually access funding through the Crisis Support Fund?
A: The new application system will be set up from the 1st of April. As soon as the current Household Support Fund application process stops, we will move into the new system, which will be communicated widely.

Although the HSF application window will close on 16th March, we will continue to work through all applications received up to that date using the current process.

Q: You mentioned vulnerable communities. Are we talking about geographical communities, or communities of interest and demographics?
A: We’re talking about the full range: geographical communities, demographics, and protected characteristics. We want to reach as many people as possible, and those who need support the most are our priority.

Q: Does the funding around prevention go to individuals, or to organisations supporting individuals?
A: It goes to organisations.

Q: Will the criteria for people applying for crisis payments change from the current criteria for the Household Support Fund?
A: Yes. We are currently defining what a crisis is. We can no longer view crisis as broadly as we have under the Household Support Fund, so there will be stricter criteria.

However, we want to ensure that the definition works for our communities in Gloucestershire. As the DWP have not provided a specific definition, it is up to local authorities to define this themselves.

Q: Does the council have the resources to make this work?
A: Yes. We’re confident that this will be a successful scheme which directly benefits Gloucestershire’s most vulnerable residents.

Q: Does the funding for staff costs come out of the Crisis Resilience Fund money?

A: Yes. Staffing resources for GCC come out of the fund.

Q: Does the funding come via VCSE organisations or through GCC directly?

A: The central application service will be supported by us at GCC, so it will come from GCC directly.

Q: It’s going to be difficult to manage applications when you don’t know individuals personally, so local intelligence from the VCSE sector will be key in identifying particularly vulnerable individuals.

A: Our aspiration is for the team to be locally based. We’re moving away from being solely based at Shire Hall and instead working more in communities.

My team will work more closely with organisations, getting to know partners and applicants. You may know someone in your community and be able to say, for example, “Mrs Jones is in real difficulty,” which we might not know otherwise.

Our intention is to be more local and visible so we can mitigate concerns around payments. Where possible, payments will be in vouchers rather than cash, as this is in everyone’s best interest.

Q: How can we respond to crisis that are caused by multiple factors and are more complex?

A: We are developing a kind of “road map.” Crisis support will be the starting point when an applicant seeks help, and part of the process will involve signposting to local services and support. Alongside the crisis application system, we are exploring a triage service through the Citizens Advice Bureau to work directly with individuals with multiple and more complex factors.

Over time, the hope is that people will become more aware of the support available in their communities, reducing the need for crisis support.

Q: We currently run our own hardship fund for when people turn up at the door without money for food or nappies or whatever, because there’s no time in those situations to fill in a form or wait, we need to be able to exercise professional discretion. Is this going to duplicate that?

A: We are not looking to duplicate systems that already exist. Instead, we want to add value. We don’t have the resources to replicate what organisations are already doing well. Where systems exist, we want to support and strengthen them, so they are more sustainable.

Q: With a trauma-informed approach, some service users may not be ready to move into building resilience and may request multiple crisis payments. A one-off payment won’t necessarily solve the problem.

A: We will work on a case-by-case basis. We will also work more closely with other commissioned projects such as short breaks, family hubs, and the Holiday Activities and Food Programme.

Q: With district councils potentially disappearing under Local Government Reorganisation, how will this affect the rollout and management of the fund?

A: We are working closely with district councils as they help develop our plans. They will receive some funding to run initiatives locally.

This means GCC will work with the voluntary sector, and district councils will also work with the voluntary sector. Together, we will coordinate our efforts and map activity across the county to avoid duplication.

Q: At our food bank we have a Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) representative, but people often don’t follow through with referrals. Will there be conditions requiring people to engage with further support?

A: Firstly, it’s about building trust. People may not want to tell their story to someone they don’t know, which is one reason GCC will be more present in communities.

Secondly, the new application system launching on the 1st of April will track whether applicants take up signposted support. This allows us to follow up more effectively.

Through the work we’ve done since December, we’ve found that some people decline onward referrals, but most are willing to engage and explore ways to improve their circumstances.

We are also linking this work with return-to-work services. Through a “one hub” model, people can see a journey from crisis towards independent living. People may move back and forth along this journey, and the new system will help us monitor and support them more effectively.

Q: Sometimes applications appear untrustworthy, with people receiving funding multiple times from different sources for the same situation. Can funders work together to prevent abuse of funding?

A: Yes. We recognise that this happens across the VCSE sector, district councils, and GCC. Discussions are already taking place about systems that could help mitigate this issue.

Q: One challenge with sharing information between organisations is GDPR. Will there be processes in place to enable information sharing?

A: It’s difficult to address specific scenarios in general terms, but Gloucestershire VCSE Alliance could potentially provide GDPR guidance and training around consent if that would be helpful.

Q: How will you ensure communications about the fund and wider support reach all communities?

A: We’ve discussed running “pop-ups” at different venues across the county, creating a rolling programme of outreach.

We are exploring hubs, libraries, community spaces, and working with teams within Shire Hall that already have a presence in communities. We are also engaging with travelling communities.

Q: How will you address language barriers in the application process, or concerns about asking for help in small communities?

A: We’ve begun considering this for the online application service, but we recognise it requires further exploration. This will be an ongoing conversation for the group.

We are also developing a “My Support Map” that allows people to find support both locally and further afield if they prefer not to access services within their immediate community.

“My Support Map” will be embedded into the Virtual Family Hub platform which already contains 98 languages with more that will be added later this year and ongoing.

Q: Is GCC considering systems like ReferNet to support warm referrals between organisations?

A: Colleagues at GCC are developing a report that includes mapping local services, identifying what exists and where the gaps are. We will also look into ReferNet.

Q: Tools like Beebot AI could be useful for referrals and keeping service information updated.

A: Yes. We used that system for Virtual Family Hub and plan to use it here as well. Applicants will also be able to access it directly to help them find support independently.

Q: It can be difficult for people to repeat their story to multiple organisations. How can information be shared more easily?

A: The new application system will take a “tell your story once” approach. With consent, this information can be accessed by partner organisations so that individuals do not have to repeat their circumstances multiple times as they move through different services.

If you’d like to keep up-to-date about the Crisis and Resilience Fund, please check our News Bulletin and social channels for further announcements. If your organisation delivers crisis services, you weren’t able to attend the session, but would like to be added to the Crisis and Resilience Fund discussion group, please e-mail us.