Islington £4.1m fund to help residents with bills

By Hiyastar News

Islington residents hit by sudden costs, reduced income or pressure on everyday bills are set to be supported through a new £4.1m Crisis and Resilience Fund.

The money will be distributed by Islington Council and trusted local partners to people most affected by the cost-of-living crisis. The council says the fund is designed to provide a safety net when a financial shock risks becoming a wider household crisis.

Residents will be able to apply through Access Islington and a range of partner organisations. Support is expected to focus on essentials such as food, energy and household goods.

Who the Islington fund is aimed at

The Crisis and Resilience Fund is targeted at residents who need help most, particularly people facing rising costs, sudden expenses or a loss of income.

Islington Council says the support is being introduced in a borough where one in five residents is living in poverty. That means the fund is not just a general community grant pot, but a hardship measure for households under direct financial pressure.

The council has not set out a single fixed profile of who may qualify in the source announcement. Residents struggling to cover essentials should use Access Islington or local partner organisations to check what support may be available for their circumstances.

What the £4.1m support can cover

The fund is intended to help with practical household pressures rather than long-term income replacement.

The money comes from the Government’s Department for Work and Pensions and will be distributed locally by the council and partner organisations.

Cllr Una O’Halloran, Leader of Islington Council, said too many people were still struggling with the cost of living, and that even a small financial shock could quickly become a crisis for many families.

She said the fund was about making sure support is available when residents need it most, while also tackling the root causes of hardship.

Wider help already running in the borough

The Crisis and Resilience Fund sits alongside other cost-of-living support already being delivered in Islington.

The council says its Council Tax Support Scheme has reduced council tax bills by £28m for more than 24,000 homes. Since April 2024, it has also helped residents secure more than £20m in unclaimed benefits.

That benefits work is expected to continue alongside the new fund. Islington Council says it will take further steps to help residents access another £5m in unclaimed benefits every year.

Readers comparing council hardship schemes elsewhere may also find useful context in this report on a Nottingham hardship fund, which covers similar crisis payments and benefit support for local residents.

How residents can seek help

Residents who think they may need help should contact Access Islington or speak to one of the local partner organisations involved in distributing support.

The key point for households is that the fund is aimed at sudden or serious financial pressure linked to essentials. People who are already behind on bills, facing a drop in income or struggling to afford food, energy or basic goods should ask what help is open to them rather than waiting for the situation to worsen.

The council’s message to residents struggling to make ends meet is that support is available through the new Crisis and Resilience Fund and its wider benefits advice work.

Source: Islington Council