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Malvern Hills: Household Support Fund & Crisis and Resilience Fund

What Malvern Hills’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

Malvern Hills District 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; Malvern Hills’s own page (linked below) is the authority and the current position.

What Malvern Hills’s scheme covers

Award: Amount is discretionary and depends on personal circumstances; no fixed sum published
What you get: Wider CRF support may include cash payments, vouchers, essential household items, and preventative services
Who qualifies: Must currently receive Housing Benefit from Malvern Hills District Council or housing costs via Universal Credit
How often: Housing Payments are short-term awards only and should not be relied on for any length of time
How to apply: Apply online; phone support available if unable to complete the online form
Decision: Aims to give a decision within 28 days of receiving the application
You will need: Supporting evidence uploaded during the online application, or emailed with name, address and reference number
Not covered: Cannot cover costs Housing Benefit/Universal Credit deem ineligible (e.g. utilities, meals, personal care) or benefit overpayment deductions
Funding period: Fund runs for three years, until 31 March 2029
Government allocation: £88,975 for 2026-27

Malvern Hills District Council is one of 6 district councils in Worcestershire. 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. Worcestershire County Council was allocated £6,527,725 for 2026-27; Malvern Hills District Council was allocated £88,975 of its own. If what you need is help with food or energy rather than rent, start with the Worcestershire scheme.

What Malvern Hills itself says

Award. “The amount you receive and the length of time you are awarded help, depends on your personal circumstances”
What you get. “Support may include crisis payments such as cash payments, vouchers, essential household items, and access to preventative services”
Who qualifies. “can provide additional financial support to people who currently receive Housing Benefit from Malvern Hills District Council or housing costs from the Universal Credit Department”
How often. “CRF housing payments are short term awards only and therefore should not be relied upon for any length of time”
How to apply. “If you have an exceptional reason why you are unable to complete the online form, please contact us on 03004 560 560 for additional support in making your application”
Decision. “We aim to be in touch with a decision within 28 days of receiving your application wherever possible”
You will need. “You will be given the opportunity to upload your supporting evidence during the online application process”
Not covered. “The cost of things Housing Benefit or the housing element of Universal Credit deem ineligible e.g. utility costs, meals or personal care”
Funding period. “The CRF is funded by the UK Government and will run for three years until 31 March 2029”

Quoted from Malvern Hills’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 Malvern Hills’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 Malvern Hills scheme page

Source: Malvern Hills District 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

Credit union loans — the cheapest borrowing, capped at 3% a month.
DWP phone numbers — which line to call, and for what.
Borrowing while on benefits — what it costs and what it does to your award.
Crisis Loans — what replaced them, and where to apply now.

Not in Malvern Hills?

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: Manchester, Rushcliffe, Bromsgrove — see all 141.

Find your council by postcode

Not in Malvern Hills? 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 Malvern Hills District 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.