Families in Staffordshire facing financial hardship will be able to receive short-term help to pay for food and energy bills as part of a new Crisis and Resilience Fund.

Staffordshire County Council has been allocated £8.46m for 2026/27 as part of the new national scheme, which will enable eligible households to get help towards the costs of energy, heating oil, food, household essential items, white goods, emergency childcare and transport and uniform and clothing.

The authority has previously administered the national Household Support Fund in recent years.

The new fund will see a focus on early intervention and more access to local advice and support alongside the provision of crisis payments.

County council cabinet members were asked to accept the grant allocation at their meeting on Wednesday (17 June).

Families can be referred for crisis payments through approved referrers or through the one-to-one financial wellbeing coaching service.

Cllr Nicholas Lakin, cabinet member for children and young people, said: "This very much focuses on supporting paying for urgent essentials, such as food and fuel bills whilst people get back on their feet, rather than ongoing financial help.

"With fuel prices soaring in recent weeks, the Oil Crisis element is available to those generally on low incomes who are struggling to heat their own homes.

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"The Household Support Fund (HSF), which has provided support to Staffordshire residents since October 2021, ended on 31st March 2026.

"From April 2026 it's been replaced by the Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF), a three-year national programme from 2026 to 2029.

"While both funds support households who experience financial hardship, the CRF is not a continuation of the HSF.

"The Crisis and Resilience Fund represents a deliberate national shift away from predominantly reactive crisis mitigation towards a needs-based preventative model that places greater emphasis on financial resilience, early intervention and strengthening the local support landscape, alongside provision of crisis payments for households experiencing financial shock."

Those eligible for the fund include care leavers from Staffordshire, vulnerable adults and those caring for someone vulnerable, including children or young people.

For more information on the CRF, visit https://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/community-support-and-safety/crisis-and-resilience-fund/crisis-payments.