Dudley Crisis and Resilience Fund — Emergency Help Beyond Council Tax Reduction

When Council Tax Reduction and Section 13A hardship relief are not enough, Dudley Council's Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF) may provide other support. From 1 April 2026, its Housing Payment component replaced Discretionary Housing Payments, and the fund also includes Crisis Payments and resilience support.

The CRF is not a council tax reduction — it is an emergency fund for residents facing immediate financial crisis. But understanding it matters because it plugs gaps that CTR and Section 13A cannot reach.

What the Fund Covers

The fund has several components. Its two payment routes are:

Crisis payments. Short-term help for low-income residents facing a recent financial crisis and an urgent essential need, such as food, energy, or an essential household item.

Housing payments. Help with rent shortfalls, deposits, rent in advance, rent arrears, and some other housing costs for residents receiving Universal Credit Housing Costs or Housing Benefit. Applicants must also have less than £3,000 in savings. This is the component that replaced Discretionary Housing Payments.

The fund does not directly pay council tax — that is covered by CTR (up to 40% of liability for working-age residents) and Section 13A discretionary relief (for exceptional hardship cases with capital under £3,000). But a crisis payment can free up income that would otherwise go on food or fuel, making council tax payments more manageable.

Who Can Apply

Crisis payments are for Dudley residents who can show a recent financial crisis and low income. Dudley's published low-income criteria include a single-income household below £30,000, a joint-income household below £40,000, receipt of a means-tested passporting benefit, or an affordability assessment showing insufficient accessible resources to meet the urgent need. Each application is assessed on its circumstances. Examples of a recent crisis include:

• Have experienced a sudden loss of income (job loss, benefit sanction, relationship breakdown)
• Have unexpected costs after an accident, health emergency, or mental health crisis
• Need urgent help after fire, flood, domestic abuse, or the failure of an essential item such as a boiler or medical equipment
• Have lost or had money stolen, leaving them without emergency living expenses

Housing payments are assessed individually based on your circumstances and eligible housing costs.

How to Apply

Apply through Dudley's Crisis Payment page or Housing Payment page. Dudley Council Plus on 0300 555 2345 can provide telephone support to complete a Crisis Payment application; it does not process applications or provide updates by phone. The council assesses each application using the circumstances and information provided.

For a Crisis Payment, be ready to provide evidence of your financial situation, such as a recent bank statement showing at least one month's transactions, and information or evidence about the crisis.

How It Fits with Other Council Tax Support

These are distinct forms of support rather than steps in a single sequence:

1. Council Tax Reduction — the main means-tested scheme, covering up to 40% of liability for working-age residents
2. Section 13A discretionary relief — for exceptional hardship, with a strict capital limit of £3,000, drawn from the council's £300,000 annual budget
3. Crisis and Resilience Fund — not for council tax directly, but for residents whose overall financial situation has reached crisis point

If you are already receiving maximum CTR and Section 13A relief and still cannot manage your council tax payments, the CRF crisis payment can help stabilise your immediate finances while you work with a debt adviser on a longer-term plan.

For the full process of claiming CTR and Section 13A hardship relief in Dudley, see the Dudley Council Tax Reduction guide.

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