Crisis and Resilience Fund
The Single Support Grant is no longer available. The eligibility criteria for this grant has been included in the new Crisis Scheme available from Thursday 24 September 2026.
What is the Crisis and Resilience Fund?
The Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF) is government funding given to Lewisham Council to help residents on low incomes who are facing financial hardship.
It provides emergency help when you’re hit by a sudden or unexpected crisis, and support to build longer-term financial resilience. Support is usually given as a direct cash payment (but is not cash only), so you have the flexibility to cover the costs that matter most to you. The fund also supports local organisations that help residents improve their financial wellbeing over time.
The fund includes four areas of support:
- Crisis payments – emergency help when you’re in a severe and immediate financial crisis that can’t be resolved another way.
- Housing payments – support with housing costs to help prevent homelessness and keep you in your home. If you are in receipt of housing benefit or universal credit housing costs you can apply for Crisis and Resilience Fund – Housing Payments.
- Financial resilience services – debt advice, budgeting help, employment support and financial inclusion services.
- Community support and partnership working – joined-up working between the council and partners, so you’re connected to the full range of help available.
Who can apply for Crisis Payments?
Any Lewisham resident can apply for Crisis Payments and we’ll look at what support is available to you.
Applications are assessed individually and cash payments are means-tested. To be considered for a Crisis Payment, you’ll usually need to meet the following:
- you live in the London Borough of Lewisham
- you are on a low income and have £1,000 or less in savings after housing costs and essential bills
- something sudden and unexpected has happened in the last four weeks
- you need help with essential living costs or household items
- you can’t meet the cost from your income, savings or other support
- you can provide the evidence needed to assess your application
- you haven’t received a CRF award in the previous 12 months
What can the fund can help with?
Things the fund can pay for
- food
- toiletries and personal hygiene products
- essential clothing
- gas, electricity and water costs
- essential digital connectivity, where appropriate
- beds and bedding
- cookers, fridges and other essential white goods
Examples of a crisis or financial shock
- fire, flood, gas explosion or other emergency that damages your home or belongings
- an accident or a significant physical or mental health crisis causing unexpected costs
- fleeing domestic abuse and needing to set up a safe household
- moving on from temporary accommodation, hospital or prison
- breakdown of an essential household item e.g. washing machine
- a temporary interruption or reduction in your income
- other exceptional circumstances causing significant hardship
How to apply
We’ve partnered with Lightning Reach, a free and secure online service that brings thousands of sources of financial support together in one place. To proceed with the application:
- Click apply – you’ll be taken securely to the Lightning Reach portal.
- Complete the CRF application – answer questions about your household, finances and support needs.
- Submit and track your application – submit through the portal and track its progress online at any time.
- Get matched to other support – you’ll also be matched to other grants, benefits and services you may be eligible for, which you can apply to whenever you’re ready.
Can’t apply online?
Call us on 020 8314 3155. We will call you back and help you to apply.
Applying for someone else?
Professionals and support workers can submit an application on behalf of a resident through the same portal.
Evidence you’ll need
Having these ready will help us assess your application quickly. If you don’t provide the required documents, your application may be refused:
- proof of identity (photo ID)
- proof of address (for example, a recent utility bill)
- evidence of income and expenditure
- two months’ bank statements for every account held by each adult in your household
- evidence of earned income and any benefits received (for example wage slips)
- evidence of the crisis – for example a redundancy letter, repair quote, receipt, or a police crime reference number for theft
- supporting documents such as invoices, quotes or tenancy information
- any other information reasonably needed to assess the application
Important information
- each application is assessed on its own circumstances and the evidence provided
- applying does not guarantee that a payment will be awarded
- awards are intended to provide short-term support during a crisis
- information may be checked against council and Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) records where appropriate
- providing false or misleading information may lead to your application being refused and to further investigation
- where a cash payment isn’t the right fit, we may refer or signpost you to other support services
Request a review
If your application is unsuccessful you can request a review. You must do this within 10 working days of the decision by emailing us at: CrisisPayments@lewisham.gov.uk.
You must put the words REVIEW REQUEST in the subject line of your email together with your application reference number to ensure it reaches the correct team.
Alternatively, you can write to us at CRF Reviews, London Borough of Lewisham, PO Box 58996, London SE6 9JD. A review decision will be made within 10 working days.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to be on benefits to apply?
No. You do not need to be receiving benefits to apply. The fund is for any Lewisham resident on a low income who is facing a sudden financial crisis.
Do I have to pay the money back?
No. A Crisis Payment is a one-off grant, not a loan, there’s nothing to repay.
What if I’m not eligible for a cash payment?
Please still apply. If a cash payment isn’t right for your situation, we’ll connect you to other help including benefits advice, debt support, budgeting help and local services. Lightning Reach may also match you to other grants and support across the UK.
Can someone apply on my behalf?
Yes. Applications can be made by residents themselves or by a professional or support worker acting on their behalf.
How often can I apply?
Awards are meant as short-term help, and you generally can’t receive more than one CRF award in a 12-month period. If you’ve had an award recently, you can still apply and we’ll signpost you to other support.
Can I still apply if my crisis was more than 4 weeks ago?
Crisis Payments are normally for events in the last 4 weeks, and some routes (such as moving on from temporary accommodation, hospital or prison) must be applied for within 4 weeks. If you’re outside this window, apply anyway or get in touch and we can still point you to other support.
Is Lightning Reach free and secure?
Yes. Lightning Reach is a free, secure service. Applying to the Crisis and Resilience Fund creates your profile on the portal which then allows you to discover other grants, benefits and help you may be entitled to.
Privacy
Lewisham Council will process the personal information provided as part of a Crisis and Resilience Fund application in accordance with UK data protection legislation. Information will only be used to administer the scheme, assess eligibility, prevent fraud, and provide appropriate support. Full details will be provided in the Council’s full Privacy Notice.
Staying safe from scams
Because of a nationwide rise in fraudulent crisis-payment claims, we ask for the documents listed above. This protects the fund, so it reaches the people who genuinely need it.
We will never contact you separately to ask for your bank details or ask you to pay a fee to have your application considered. We only collect your bank details securely within the application itself.
If you receive any message asking you to do this, it is not from us; please ignore it. Fraudsters are known to operate this way, so stay vigilant.
Other support
- visit our Cost of living support page to see the support available locally
