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Bradford: Household Support Fund & Crisis and Resilience Fund

What Bradford’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 Bradford’s scheme covers

Covers: energy white goods furniture housing

Covers

Crisis Payments; Assisted Purchase Scheme (beds, cookers, fridge freezers, microwaves, washing machines); Emergency Fuel Help for prepayment meters; Housing Payments (replaced DHP from 1 April 2026)

Status

Crisis Payments closed until later in 2026; Assisted Purchase and Fuel Help open (confirmed 10 September 2026)

Funding period

Housing Payments from 1 April 2026

What you get

Under the Assisted Purchase Scheme, household items (e.g. beds, electric cookers, fridge freezers, microwaves, washing machines) are supplied and delivered to the home rather than cash

Who qualifies

For interim emergency fuel help (while the main Crisis Payment scheme is being developed), the household must receive a qualifying benefit

Decision

After applying to the Assisted Purchase Scheme, a team member phones the applicant; no fixed turnaround time is stated

Government allocation

£12,723,567 for 2026-27

Before you apply

1. Who can apply. For Emergency Fuel Help, people on prepayment meters receiving Universal Credit, JSA, ESA, Income Support, Pension Credit or Tax Credits
2. Use the right route. Assisted Purchase Scheme: apply direct. Emergency Fuel Help: referral via partner advice services. Crisis Payments: direct applications 'will open later in 2026'
3. Check it is still open. Crisis Payments closed until later in 2026; Assisted Purchase and Fuel Help open We confirmed this on 10 September 2026.

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

What Bradford itself says

• What you get. “beds, electric cookers, fridge freezers, microwaves, washing machines”
• Who qualifies. “receive one or more of the following benefits: Universal Credit, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA), income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Income Support, Pension Credits, Tax Credits”
• Decision. “A member of the team will contact you by telephone”

Quoted from Bradford’s own page↗ and its application 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 Bradford’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: Bradford 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

• Borrowing while on benefits — what it costs and what it does to your award.
• 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.

Not in Bradford?

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: Braintree, Elmbridge, Rochford — see all 141.

This page is independent. It is not run by Bradford 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.