City of York Council has approved a new three year Crisis and Resilience Fund to support residents on low incomes who experience a financial shock, as well as to strengthen long‑term financial resilience across the city.
The new scheme, approved at today’s Decision Session for Finance, Performance, Major Projects, and Equalities, will run from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2029. York will receive £1.587 million per year during the Fund period, including £163k allocated for Housing Payments.
Although the funding has gone down over previous years, it has now been confirmed for the next three years, offering more stability for the councils funding and more certainty for partners and residents after several years of one off allocations.
Cllr Katie Lomas, Executive Member for Finance, Performance, Major Projects, Human Rights, Equality and Inclusion, said:
This fund ensures that support continues for residents who are struggling with the ongoing pressure of rising living costs. While the reduction in national funding is significant, having a confirmed three‑year settlement gives us the stability to plan, prioritise and protect those most at risk.
The Crisis and Resilience Fund will work alongside the York Financial Assistance Scheme (YFAS) to help people facing immediate financial hardship while also strengthening community resilience along with our partners to help people in the long term.
Our aim is to ensure every resident can benefit from the success of the city and has access to the right support at the right time.
The Crises and Resilience fund is allocated across four key areas:
- Crisis Payment: Providing support to those in crisis. This includes emergency grants approved within 24 hours for food and fuel etc.
- Housing Payment: Providing financial support towards housing needs, to those who face a shortfall in meeting their housing costs.
- Resilience Services: Funding for services delivered by Authorities or external providers to improve financial resilience.
- Community Coordination: Investment in activities that connect and enhance the local support landscape.
The scheme will help to bolster the council’s anti-poverty strategy, specifically the three strategic objective of Tackling Poverty Today, preventing people from falling into poverty and creating long lasting change.
The scheme will replace three schemes that are currently running. Crisis and resilience fund crisis payments will replace both the York Financial Assistance Scheme and the current Household Support Fund. The current scheme has seen over 4200 homes receive a £100 one of payment direct to their nominated bank account to help with bills an other rising living costs.
Crisis and resilience fund housing payments will replace discretionary housing payments. The move to bring these support funds under one banner aims to simplify the access to funding for people during their time of need.
The scheme will provide coordinated advice and support services to residents at financial risk and facing financial crisis, it will continue to see the council working together with the voluntary and community sector. In working together, the we can achieve more for its residents. A voluntary and community sector crisis and resilience fund grant programme will help to support the voluntary sector to maintain capacity, facilitate coordinated services and provide choice and flexibility to enable residents to access specialist advice and practical support to maximise their income and reduce outgoings.
The fund will be available for applications from 1 April. For more information visit www.york.gov.uk/CRF
