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Dacorum: Household Support Fund & Crisis and Resilience Fund

What Dacorum’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

Dacorum Borough Council runs its local crisis help as the Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF). It is a grant — not a loan: help with essentials, nothing to repay. This is a summary; Dacorum’s own page (linked below) is the authority and the current position.

What Dacorum’s scheme covers

What you get: Ongoing awards are paid every four weeks; one-off awards are also available (e.g. for removal costs)
Who qualifies: Must receive Housing Benefit or the housing costs element of Universal Credit
How often: Payments are usually awarded for three to six months
How to apply: Apply online, or contact the Benefits team by email or phone
Decision: Usually decided within two weeks if all information is provided
You will need: May require a tenancy agreement, proof of any deposit needed, or quotes for removal costs
Not covered: Does not cover pre-existing rent arrears or uncovered service charges such as heating or water
Funding period: CRF Housing Payments replaced Discretionary Housing Payments on 1 April 2026
Government allocation: £276,569 for 2026-27

Dacorum Borough Council is one of 10 district councils in Hertfordshire. In a two-tier area the county council runs crisis payments and the district runs the housing side of the fund — rent shortfalls, a deposit, rent in advance. Hertfordshire County Council was allocated £9,299,527 for 2026-27; Dacorum Borough Council was allocated £276,569 of its own. If what you need is help with food or energy rather than rent, start with the Hertfordshire scheme.

What Dacorum itself says

Who qualifies. “the housing costs element of Universal Credit”
How often. “Payments are usually awarded for three to six months”
How to apply. “Email: benefits@dacorum.gov.uk or Call: Customer Services on 01442 228000”
Decision. “If we have all the information we need, we usually make a decision within two weeks”
You will need. “three quotes from removal companies if you are requesting help with removal costs”
Not covered. “rent arrears from before you received Housing Benefit or Universal Credit housing costs”
Funding period. “On 1 April 2026, Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF) Housing Payments replaced Discretionary Housing Payments”

Quoted from Dacorum’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 Dacorum’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”.

Open the Dacorum scheme page

Source: Dacorum Borough Council — Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF). 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

White-goods grants — a broken fridge, cooker or washing machine.
Budgeting Advance or Budgeting Loan — interest-free from the DWP.
Credit union loans — the cheapest borrowing, capped at 3% a month.
DWP phone numbers — which line to call, and for what.

Not in Dacorum?

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: Derbyshire, Kent, Surrey — see all 141.

Find your council by postcode

Not in Dacorum? Enter a postcode and we will point you at the right council’s Crisis and Resilience Fund page.

We look the postcode up with the free postcodes.io service to find your local authority. Nothing you type is stored.

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