Nottingham residents can access £21.2m hardship fund

By Hiyastar News Desk

Nottingham residents facing urgent money problems can now apply for help through a new £21.2 million Crisis and Resilience Fund, opened by Nottingham City Council on 26 May.

The UK Government-funded programme will run until March 2029, with around £7 million a year expected to support emergency payments, housing help, financial advice and local community services across the city.

The fund replaces the previous Household Support Fund, but Nottingham City Council says the new scheme is designed to go further by combining immediate crisis support with earlier help to stop problems escalating. Residents can apply online, while charities, grassroots groups and voluntary organisations can bid for funding to deliver support in neighbourhoods.

A related Hiyastar guide has also covered how Nottingham residents can use crisis and resilience support as applications open.

Help available from 26 May

The Crisis and Resilience Fund is aimed at people who need practical support because of financial hardship, including residents in immediate crisis and those at risk of falling behind with essential costs.

Emergency payments will continue to be available for residents who need urgent help, subject to checks. The council says the fund will also connect people to advice services and benefit support through a single online route.

The programme is built around four areas:

The council has described the application system as a “no wrong door” approach, meaning residents should be directed to the right form of help rather than having to work out which service to contact first.

Who may be able to get support

The fund is for Nottingham residents affected by hardship, especially where a household needs emergency help or early support to avoid a crisis.

The source material does not set out a full eligibility list, so residents should expect applications to be assessed through the CRF website and council checks. People seeking emergency financial help may be asked for information about their circumstances before a payment or referral is approved.

The fund may also help residents who need advice on benefits, housing pressure or debt-related problems. A free benefit checker is now available through the fund’s online system, designed to identify possible unclaimed support and link people to application routes.

Applying online for payments and advice

Residents can use the dedicated Crisis and Resilience Fund website to apply for help and request referrals to services including Advice Nottingham.

The online system is intended to cover emergency financial support, advice referrals and benefit checks from one place. That matters for residents who may previously have had to contact separate services while dealing with rent pressure, food costs, bills or other urgent expenses.

Emergency payments will remain subject to checks, and not every application will automatically result in a payment. The council’s stated aim is to move people quickly toward the most relevant support, whether that is direct assistance, advice or referral to another service.

Grants open for Nottingham community groups

Charities, voluntary organisations and community groups in Nottingham can now apply for money through the CRF community grants programme.

The grants are intended to fund local organisations that already work with residents facing hardship, or that can strengthen support in neighbourhoods over the next three years. Funding will be allocated through regular application rounds rather than a single one-off process.

A new community grants directory has also been launched to bring funding opportunities together in one place. Nottingham City Council says this should make it easier for local organisations to find relevant grants and apply without missing future rounds.

The Nottingham voluntary and community sector is central to the programme because many residents first turn to local groups, faith organisations, food projects, advice charities or neighbourhood networks before contacting formal public services.

What changes from the old Household Support Fund

The CRF replaces the Household Support Fund in Nottingham, but the council says the new programme is designed for longer-term planning.

The previous model was widely used for short-term help during periods of cost-of-living pressure. The new fund keeps crisis payments in place while adding more structured work around housing, prevention, benefit access and community coordination.

For residents, the immediate change is the launch of a single online route for support from 26 May. For organisations, the change is a three-year funding window running to March 2029, with repeated chances to apply for grants.

Neghat Khan, Leader of Nottingham City Council, said the fund would allow the city to keep providing emergency help while investing in support that prevents people from reaching crisis point.

She added: “I would strongly encourage local organisations, charities and grassroots groups to apply and play a leading role in delivering this support across Nottingham.”

Source: Nottingham City Council