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Stafford: Household Support Fund & Crisis and Resilience Fund

What Stafford’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

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

What Stafford’s scheme covers

Award: Maximum weekly award is the amount by which the claimant's rental liability exceeds their benefit award
Who qualifies: Awarded in unusual or extreme circumstances where extra help significantly reduces the risk of homelessness or alleviates hardship/difficulties
How often: Maximum award period is the shorter of the expected change in circumstances or one year
How to apply: Apply by completing an online form
Decision: A review outcome is issued generally within 10 working days
You will need: Claimant must provide the Council with sufficient information as reasonably required
Not covered: Will not be used to pay a service charge that is not eligible to be paid by Housing Benefit
Funding period: Policy effective 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2029
Government allocation: £111,493 for 2026-27

Stafford Borough Council is one of 8 district councils in Staffordshire. 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. Staffordshire County Council was allocated £8,915,996 for 2026-27; Stafford Borough Council was allocated £111,493 of its own. If what you need is help with food or energy rather than rent, start with the Staffordshire scheme.

What Stafford itself says

Award. “The maximum HP that can be awarded to a claimant in any week is the amount by which the applicant's rental liability exceeds their benefit award”
Who qualifies. “HP will be awarded in unusual or extreme circumstances where additional help will have a significant effect in reducing the risk of homelessness, alleviating hardship, or alleviating difficulties”
How often. “The maximum period for which a HP will be awarded is the lesser of the period during which the circumstances giving rise to the claim are expected to change or one year”
How to apply. “Applications for HP can be made by completing an on line form”
Decision. “Written notice of the outcome of the review will be issued as soon as is reasonably practicable and generally within 10 working days”
You will need. “A person claiming a HP shall provide the Council with sufficient information as deemed reasonable by the Council”
Not covered. “HP will not be used to: Pay a service charge which is not eligible to be paid by HB”
Funding period. “Effective 1 April 2026 - 31 March 2029”

Quoted from Stafford’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 Stafford’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 Stafford scheme page

Source: Stafford Borough Council — Crisis and Resilience Fund. 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 Stafford?

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: Staffordshire, Wolverhampton, Hart — see all 141.

Find your council by postcode

Not in Stafford? 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 Stafford 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.