The City of York Council Crisis and Resilience Fund Scheme (CRF) runs from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2029.
The CRF Crisis and Housing Payment Scheme replaces 3 previous support schemes:
- YFAS
- Household Support Fund
- Discretionary Housing Payments
The CRF scheme is funded jointly through York Financial Assistance Scheme and funding from National Government provided directly to Local Authorities (LAs) to
- offer timely, assistance to people with low incomes facing financial shocks
- provide financial support towards housing needs for people who face a shortfall in meeting their housing costs.
- empower citizens to better manage financial shocks
- help with immediate crisis
- prevent crises getting worse and happening again
See further details about the York CRF Scheme:
Crisis and Resilience Fund Discretionary Payments
Crisis and Resilience Fund Discretionary Payments provide a safety net for those on low incomes who encounter a financial shock via
- 1. CRF Crisis Payments: Providing support to those in crisis.
- 2. CRF Housing Payment: Provide financial support to help with rent or housing costs.
Crisis and Resileince Fund Crisis Payments
York Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF) Crisis Payments support residents who:
- are experiencing a sudden money problem
- need urgent financial assistance
- do not have enough income or savings to meet the eligible costs the scheme can help with
CRF Crisis Payment Eligibility
Your household must have experienced or be experiencing a financial shock. To be considered you must require urgent financial assistance and not have enough income or savings to meet the eligible costs the scheme can help with.
Applicants must be city of York residents over 16 years of age and have recourse to public funds (which applies if you have moved to the UK from another country).
Residents in the following groups have been identified as priority groups:
- disabled people, including children and young people 24 or under with an Education, Health and Care plan
- elderly, frail or confused older people, particularly those who are not eligible for Pension Credit
- single adult households with high energy, rent or mortgage costs
- people who are seriously ill or have a severe long term health condition, including people with health conditions that are affected by the cold, such as COPD, severe asthma, cardiovascular disease, sickle cell anaemia
- people who are recently bereaved
- pregnant women, or those who have recently given birth
- recently unemployed people
- care leavers
- unpaid carers
- those fleeing domestic abuse
- people affected by high rent or mortgage costs
- people who ‘s DWP benefit has been sanctioned, and are formally challenging this decision
- people affected by a disaster, such as a fire or flood
Those who cannot apply
The following categories of people do not qualify for help:
- people who do not live within the City of York Council boundaries
- residents who have no recourse to public funds
- residents in care homes (within the meaning of specific acts) with no plans for discharge
- hospital in-patients with no plans for discharge
- people lawfully detained or on release on a temporary licence
- members of a religious order who are being fully maintained by it
- residents under 16 years of age
Details of available help through CRF Crisis Payments
Crisis payments can be considered for:
- essential costs to alleviate a crisis and improve individuals financial resilience
- food and hygiene products
- energy bills, including electricity, gas and oil
- water bills, including sewerage
- council tax arrears
- internet connection
- essential household items, such as cooker, washing machine, bed
- essential transport-related costs such as repairing a car, buying a bicycle, or paying for fuel
- some exceptional housing costs
How to apply for CRF Crisis Payments
Applications are made via the City of York Council website:
You can also apply by telephone: 0808 1685238 (free phone), or: 01904 551556.
CRF Crisis Payment supporting information
Applicants need to provide supporting information to confirm their circumstances. Including details of
- savings
- earnings
- other income, including;
- Housing Benefit and Local Council Tax Support
- Universal Credit
- Disability benefits
- Pension Credit
- or a payment on account of one of them (or if you are about to get any of them on leaving an institution or residential accommodation in which you have received care)
- pensions
- readily available funds in bank or building society accounts
- whether assistance has been sought from other available sources and the outcome, such as claimed eligible benefits and other grant support
We will not normally consider:
- Housing Benefit
- Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- your home and personal possessions
We may also decide that it is reasonable to not take account of other money or assets depending on the circumstances of the claim.
We'll need to establish why you are applying for financial support. We'll need to understand what changes there have been in your circumstances resulting in a financial shock. We may ask you about your personal circumstances in depth to make sure that you are seeking all necessary support. If we need more information to decide on your application or to ensure are getting all the support available, we will make a referral to our CRF Benefits Adviser.
We'll always explain the reason we have approved or rejected your application. Following the outcome of your application, we will provide you with information about other agencies that may be able to help and where appropriate, make a referral on your behalf. For example, this could be getting you some advice and help on how to prepare an income and expenditure budget or by helping you to access more specialist agencies such as, for example, the Step Change debt charity.
If you apply to the scheme again and you are not getting the support that you need, we will refer you to a support service and often this will be a condition of receiving the second award.
How CRF Crisis Payments are made
Payments will be through a discretionary means tested application, which will require applicants to provide some financial information.
We take a person-centred and needs-based approach in assessment and award of payments as necessary. The scheme has a cash first approach, with direct payments, vouchers and goods.
Approved awards for assistance with food, energy bills (electricity, gas and oil), and water bills (including sewerage) will be based on need and household size.
Some applications will be referred to advice and support services to gather information to make appropriate awards to best meet needs and support ongoing resilience. All applicants will be provided with information and signposting to resilience services and resources.
If the information you provide on your application confirms you are eligible for other benefits or financial support from City of York Council, such as Council Tax Support we may treat this as an application for this support.
Applications are checked throughout the day and emergency application will be prioritised. We will contact you within 48 hours of your application but try where possible to make awards on the day that we receive them.
The number of crisis payments you can receive
Residents can receive a maximum of 2 CRF crisis payments during the financial year, unless there are additional mitigating circumstances.
Crisis and Resilience Fund Housing Payments
CRF Housing Payments provide financial support to those who face a shortfall in meeting their housing costs.
CRF Housing Payments replace the Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP).
CRF Housing Payment eligibility
Applicants must:
- be city of York residents
- be over 16 years of age
- have recourse to public funds, which applies if you have moved to the UK from another country
- face a shortfall in meeting their housing costs
Details of available help through CRF Housing Payments
There are 2 elements of housing support:
- CRF Housing Payment for those who meet specified criteria
- CRF Housing Crisis Payment
CRF Housing Payments can be paid to people who are entitled to either:
- Housing Benefit, or;
- Universal Credit including a housing element - this includes Shared Ownership properties which carry a rental liability
CRF Housing Crisis Payments can be paid to:
- tenants who are not entitled to a Housing Payment
- tenants who get a Housing Payment and require extra support
- owner-occupiers
Housing support can be made for eligible housing costs, including:
- rental deposits and rent in advance
- costs associated with securing housing or downsizing (such as removal expenses or tenancy setup)
- Shortfalls between housing support and actual rent, including those caused by;
- the benefit cap
- Removal of the Spare Room Subsidy (RSRS)
- Local Housing Allowance (LHA)
Housing Payments are discretionary taking into consideration the applicant’s financial circumstances and any other relevant factors.
How to apply for CRF Housing Payments
Applications are made via the City of York Council website:
You can also apply by telephone: 0808 1685238 (free phone), or: 01904 551556.
CRF Housing Payment supporting information
Applicants will need to provide details of why you are applying for a CRF Housing Payment, and of any action you are taking to improve your situation.
Your application is not just about applying for financial assistance, it is an opportunity to provide us with a full picture of your circumstances so we can see if there are other ways in which the difference between rent and benefit can be addressed. It's therefore important that you provide as much information as possible with your application.
Applicants will need to provide supporting information to confirm their circumstances. Including details of:
- savings
- earnings
- other income, including;
- Housing Benefit and Local Council Tax Support
- Universal Credit
- disability benefits
- Pension Credit
- or a payment on account of one of them (or if you are about to get any of them on leaving an institution or residential accommodation in which you have received care)
- pensions
- readily available funds in bank or building society accounts
- whether assistance has been sought from other available sources and the outcome, such as claimed eligible benefits and other grant support
- property and tenancy details
- other household members
- household expenditure and any debts
- any disabilities or health conditions for you and other household members
- any adaptations for the purposes of care needs to your home
How CRF Housing Payments are made
Payment can be made
- direct to the applicant
- to third parties (such as agents, appointees and landlords) where appropriate
- by being credited to the rent account
Housing Payments may be paid in multiple instalments. The length of Housing Payments is determined by the Authority. The award period and any end date will be clearly communicated to the applicant for ongoing awards.
Applications for Housing Payments can be backdated. Each application will be considered on its own merits. The Housing Payment can only be considered for a period where the linked Housing Benefit or relevant award of Universal Credit is payable.
Awarding a CRF Housing Payment in UC
When processing an application from a UC claimant, consideration should be given to:
- total monthly household income including the whole value of the UC award, less;
- total monthly household expenditure (which the authority deem reasonable), equals;
- shortfall in income to consider for a Housing Payment award
CRF Housing Payment to claimants that have 2 homes
A CRF Housing Payment can be awarded in respect of 2 homes when someone is treated as temporarily absent from their main home. This includes those who have fled their main home because they are a victim of domestic abuse.
In such cases of temporary absence, if the claimant is treated as liable for rent on both properties and, in both cases, there is a shortfall, it is possible to award a Housing Payment in respect of both properties subject to the weekly or monthly limit on each property.
CRF Payment change of circumstances
Applicants must notify the authority of any changes which may be relevant to the CRF Crisis Payment or the CRF Housing Payment application or award.
Authorities should inform recipients of what changes to report and how to do so.
CRF decision reviews
You have the right to a review if you are unhappy with our decision. The decision will be looked at again by someone who did not make the original decision. Where the council cannot help it will provide you with information about other agencies that may be able to help and where appropriate, make a referral on your behalf.
Review requests can be made by email: crf@york.gov.uk, or by post to:
CRFCity of York Council
West Offices
Station Rise
York
YO1 6GA
If you remain unhappy you can use the council’s complaints process. See details of how to raise a comment, compliment, complaint or concern.