That the Cabinet Member:

a)     Accepts the Crisis and Resilience Fund allocation of £2.817 million from the Department for Work and Pensions for the period 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027 and delegates acceptance of future allocations for F/Ys 2027/28 and–2028/29 to the Corporate Director Community Wellbeing;

b)     Approves the proposed local eligibility framework for allocation of the funding, as set out in paragraph 8 of this report;

c)      A digital financial platform to enable the delivery of crisis payments (as set out in para 7), and appendix 1. 

d)     Delegates authority to the Corporate Director Community Wellbeing to take all operational and budgetary decisions in accordance with the approved eligibility framework and the DWP grant conditions

1.               Not to accept the Crisis and Resilience Fund allocation or approve a local eligibility framework at this time. This option is not recommended. The CRF provides funding for the period 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2029, to support vulnerable households, strengthen local support networks and build financial resilience.  Failure to accept the allocation would result in the loss of £2.3 million in 2026/27 and future years’ funding, significantly reducing the council’s ability to respond to financial hardship and invest in prevention. As the value of the funding exceeds £500,000 and impacts a significant number of residents across the county, Cabinet approval of both the allocation and the local eligibility framework is required to enable lawful expenditure and programme mobilisation.

2.               To restrict eligibility exclusively to residents in receipt of means-tested benefits, using DWP-provided data. This option is not recommended. While DWP data provides an important insight into financial vulnerability, limiting eligibility solely to households in receipt of means-tested benefits would not reflect the person-centred, needs-led principles of the CRF. Financial hardship is increasingly experienced by residents who may not qualify for benefits but face low income, insecure work, rising housing costs or sudden life events. The proposed local framework allows flexibility to target those most in need, including households who fall outside strict benefit thresholds but are nonetheless at risk of crisis.

3.               To restrict eligibility exclusively to residents in receipt of non–means-tested benefits. This option is also not recommended. Although some households in receipt of non-means-tested benefits experience financial hardship, restricting support to this group would risk excluding vulnerable households who remain in crisis despite receiving means-tested support, including larger families, households with disabled members, or single-income households facing cost pressures. A balanced, locally determined eligibility approach ensures that support is directed to those most in need, consistent with DWP guidance and the objectives of the CRF.