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Hampshire: Household Support Fund & Crisis and Resilience Fund

What Hampshire’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 15 September 2026

Hampshire County 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; Hampshire’s own page (linked below) is the authority and the current position.

What Hampshire’s scheme covers

Covers: Food; gas and electricity; housing costs; essential travel; funding to local advice and digital-support organisations
Status: operating since April 2026 (confirmed 15 September 2026)
Funding period: Three years to March 2029 — up to £33m for Hampshire, with £11.035m for 2026/27 including £586,000 for heating oil
What you get: Vouchers that can be exchanged for cash at the Post Office, or PayPoint vouchers cashed in at PayPoint stores
Who qualifies: Full-time Hampshire resident (excludes Southampton City, Portsmouth City, Isle of Wight) facing a crisis, on means-tested benefits or low income, with savings under £6,000
Referral needed: Yes — apply through a referral partner (Citizens Advice Hampshire)
You will need: Recent bank statements, income and savings details, photo ID and proof of address, and proof of the crisis (e.g. repair quote, redundancy letter, bill)
Government allocation: £11,035,376 for 2026-27

Savings must be under £6,000

Before you apply

Use the right route. Apply through Citizens Advice, which runs the fund's portal for Hampshire
Check it is still open. operating since April 2026 We confirmed this on 15 September 2026.

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

The 10 district councils in Hampshire

In Hampshire the county council runs crisis payments, but your district or borough council runs the housing side of the fund — rent shortfalls, a deposit, rent in advance. Each has its own rules, its own application route and its own government allocation.

What Hampshire itself says

What you get. “Payments will be made in a variety of ways including vouchers that can be exchanged for cash at the Post Office, or PayPoint vouchers that can be 'cashed in' at stores running a PayPoint scheme”
Who qualifies. “Have limited access to savings (less than £6,000)”
Referral needed. “Apply for support through Citizens Advice Hampshire”
You will need. “Proof of crisis – for example quote for repairs of white goods, letter of redundancy, bill for car repairs”

Quoted from Hampshire’s own page↗, checked 15 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 Hampshire’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 Hampshire scheme page

Source: Hampshire County Council — Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF). Opened 15 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

Eligibility checker — see what you could be entitled to.
White-goods grants — a broken fridge, cooker or washing machine.
Budgeting Advance or Budgeting Loan — interest-free from the DWP.
How much councils pay — the cheapest borrowing, capped at 3% a month.

Not in Hampshire?

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: Harlow, North Norfolk, Wirral — see all 141.

Find your council by postcode

Not in Hampshire? 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 Hampshire County 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.