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Preston: Household Support Fund & Crisis and Resilience Fund

What Preston’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

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

What Preston’s scheme covers

What you get: Crisis Payment described as short-term, non-repayable financial support
Who qualifies: Live in Preston, on a low income (benefits not required), experiencing or at risk of a financial crisis or shock
Referral needed: No — residents can apply directly
How to apply: Online form, phone 01772 906777, or in person by appointment only
You will need: Two months' bank statements (full months), names/DOB/NI numbers, full address, evidence of crisis if available
Not covered: Not everyone who applies will receive an award
Funding period: Scheme will run for three years from 1 April 2026
Government allocation: £257,508 for 2026-27

Preston City Council is one of 12 district councils in Lancashire. 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. Lancashire County Council was allocated £17,693,881 for 2026-27; Preston City Council was allocated £257,508 of its own. If what you need is help with food or energy rather than rent, start with the Lancashire scheme.

What Preston itself says

Who qualifies. “Are on a low income (you do not have to be on benefits)”
Referral needed. “Applications can be made using our online form”
You will need. “Bank statements from last two months showing full month of transactions”
Not covered. “not everyone who applies will receive an award”
Funding period. “will run for three years”

Quoted from Preston’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 Preston’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 Preston scheme page

Source: Preston City 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

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 Preston?

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: Redditch, Tamworth, Dudley — see all 141.

Find your council by postcode

Not in Preston? 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 Preston City 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.