Devon County Council has published a report setting out its approach to implementing in Devon a new national Crisis and Resilience Fund (CaRF).
The new fund, provided by Government, will replace the current Household Support Fund, which is due to end in March 2026.
CaRF is designed to offer more targeted help to people facing sudden financial difficulties, while also supporting longer term financial resilience.
To deliver CaRF, Devon County Council will receive £8.4 million a year for three years, from 2026/27 to 2028/29.
The funding will be used to help people on low incomes who experience an unexpected financial shock, such as a sudden loss of income or an essential cost they cannot afford.
The support will focus on four main areas:
• Crisis payments to help people in immediate financial difficulty
• Housing support provided by District Councils, replacing existing discretionary housing payments
• Wraparound financial resilience services, such as advice and support to help people manage their money and avoid future crises
• Community funding to strengthen local advice and support networks across Devon
The approach builds on Devon’s experience of delivering previous cost of living support, working closely with district councils and voluntary and community organisations.
A partnership board will be created to oversee delivery and to review and refine the approach over the life of the programme.
The new fund is not a direct replacement for the Household Support Fund. Rather than broad or automatic payments, the emphasis would be on targeted, needs based support for people facing genuine financial crisis.
Councillor Cheryl Cottle Hunkin, Cabinet Member for Rural Affairs and Broadband, said:
“While we welcome the new Crisis and Resilience Fund, Devon is facing rising need at the same time as our funding is being reduced.
“Large rural counties like ours have real, often hidden deprivation, with higher transport and fuel costs and households already under pressure.
“Alongside financial crisis support and advice, we urgently need substantial and ongoing preventative investment for people across a range of issues*, preventing crisis arising.
“We will continue to lobby government to provide the level of investment needed so that no household in Devon is left behind.”
The Council aims to have the new Crisis and Resilience arrangements in place in late Spring.