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Barnsley: Household Support Fund & Crisis and Resilience Fund

What Barnsley’s local crisis scheme covers, how to apply, and whether it was open when we checked.

Written by the benefitmoney.co.uk editorial team · Last reviewed 14 September 2026

What Barnsley’s scheme covers

Covers: food energy household items housing travel debt

Covers

Crisis payments for immediate hardship (food, household items, utilities, priority debt, emergency transport); interest-free credit-union crisis loans; housing payments; heating-oil support; resettlement grants; and Healthy Holidays clubs for children

Status

Active and accepting applications (confirmed 10 September 2026)

Funding period

From 1 April 2026 (replaced the Household Support Fund and Discretionary Housing Payments)

What you get

May receive a cash crisis payment, but not necessarily the full amount requested; alternative (non-cash) support may be offered instead

Who qualifies

For heating oil payments, heating oil must be the applicant's only available source of heating (plus other heating-oil-specific criteria)

You will need

For heating oil payments: a recent heating oil quote and confirmation of the current oil tank level

Government allocation

£4,741,392 for 2026-27

Before you apply

1. Use the right route. Apply for crisis payments online; for credit-union loans call Community First Credit Union on 03030 300 010; for help completing the form call 01226 787787 (option 3)
2. Check it is still open. Active and accepting applications We confirmed this on 10 September 2026.

Only what Barnsley states on its own page. Other councils ask for more — see what they have in common.

What Barnsley itself says

• What you get. “Alternative support to a cash payment may also be offered”
• Who qualifies. “heating oil is the only available source of heating”
• You will need. “recent heating oil quote and confirmation of your current oil tank level”

Quoted from Barnsley’s own page↗, checked 14 September 2026. Nothing on this page is paraphrased into a rule the council has not published. The government allocation is from Annex A of the Crisis and Resilience Fund grant determination 2026 to 2027↗.

Apply on Barnsley’s website

Applications are made on the council’s own site — this page collects nothing. If the link has moved, search the council site for “crisis and resilience”, then “household support”, then “welfare assistance”.

Source: Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council — Crisis and Resilience Fund. Opened 10 September 2026.

Where this money comes from

Central government funds it; the council sets the rules. A payment does not affect your benefits. How the fund works nationally.

Other help you may qualify for

• Crisis Loans — what replaced them, and where to apply now.
• Help with energy bills — grants and supplier schemes.
• Eligibility checker — see what you could be entitled to.
• White-goods grants — a broken fridge, cooker or washing machine.

Not in Barnsley?

See the other councils we have checked, or find yours via GOV.UK’s Get help with the cost of living from your local council↗.

Outside England the scheme has a different name: the Scottish Welfare Fund in Scotland, the Discretionary Assistance Fund in Wales, and Discretionary Support in Northern Ireland.

Recently checked elsewhere: Basingstoke And Deane, Durham, Redditch — see all 141.

This page is independent. It is not run by Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council, the Department for Work and Pensions or GOV.UK. Council schemes change without notice; the council’s own page is always the current position.