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Sandwell: Household Support Fund & Crisis and Resilience Fund

What Sandwell’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 Sandwell’s scheme covers

Covers: food energy

Covers

Help managing money and budgeting; food and household costs; energy and bills; digital access and skills; health and wellbeing; and language and everyday skills

Status

Open (confirmed 10 September 2026)

What you get

Payment voucher, cash payment, or goods (e.g. second-hand furniture/white goods) depending on need type

Who qualifies

Live in Sandwell and liable for council tax; annual income up to £30,000 (single) or £40,000 (multi-person household), or savings under £1,000, or on a means-tested benefit

How often

Maximum three claims for financial help in a 12-month period

Referral needed

No — residents can apply directly

How to apply

Apply using the online form on the council's crisis fund page

Decision

Payment or voucher issued as soon as possible, usually quicker than 14 days

Government allocation

£7,598,616 for 2026-27

Before you apply

1. Use the right route. For urgent help use the council's Get help now page (sandwell.gov.uk/crf); longer-term support is via its Supporting Sandwell hub
2. Check it is still open. Open We confirmed this on 10 September 2026.

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

What Sandwell itself says

• What you get. “payment voucher or a cash payment”
• Who qualifies. “annual income of £30,000 or less if you live alone or £40,000 or less if you live in a multi-person household”
• How often. “The maximum number of times you can claim financial help is three times in a 12-month period”
• Referral needed. “You can use the form below to apply for help”
• How to apply. “You can use the form below to apply for help”
• Decision. “We aim to make a payment or issue a voucher as soon as possible. This can take up to 14 days but is usually quicker”

Quoted from Sandwell’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 Sandwell’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: Sandwell 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 Sandwell?

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: Sheffield, Warwickshire, Fylde — see all 141.

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