East Riding Crisis and Resilience Fund: Cost of Living Help for Council Tax

East Riding of Yorkshire Council administers a Crisis and Resilience Fund alongside its regular Council Tax Reduction scheme. If you are already receiving Council Tax Support but still struggling with basic living costs, the crisis fund is a separate pot of money designed for exactly that situation.

What the Crisis and Resilience Fund Covers

For 2026/27, East Riding was allocated £3,839,661 under the Crisis and Resilience Fund. The fund provides emergency support for vulnerable households facing severe material hardship, including:

• Fuel vouchers for gas and electricity
• Emergency food provision
• Essential household goods (white goods, beds, basic furnishings)

The fund is not a council tax rebate or discount — it does not reduce your council tax bill directly. It addresses the living costs that compete with your council tax payments, freeing up income to cover the compulsory 20% minimum payment that working-age residents must pay even at the maximum Council Tax Reduction tier.

How to Apply

Apply online through the council's Crisis Payment form. If you cannot complete it online or need help, call (01482) 393939; the council can assist by phone or arrange face-to-face support where appropriate. The council assesses your circumstances and decides what support is suitable. Crisis payments are short-term and may include financial help, emergency food, essential household goods, advice, or referrals to other services.

Other Cost of Living Support in East Riding

Several overlapping schemes help with household costs. Here is how they relate to council tax:

Council Tax Reduction (Council Tax Support) — the main scheme. Working-age households earning below set income thresholds with savings under £6,000 can receive 25% to 80% off their council tax bill. Apply through the council's portal at eastriding.gov.uk/mycounciltax. Full details in the application process guide.

Exceptional Hardship Fund — a discretionary fund for residents whose Council Tax Reduction does not cover their liability; households that recently applied for Council Tax Reduction but did not qualify may also apply. Each application is considered on its own merits. More in the hardship fund guide.

Single Person Discount — a 25% reduction when you are the only adult counted in the household. Apply through the council if it is not already shown on your bill.

Disabled Band Reduction — if a property has been adapted for a disabled resident (extra room, wheelchair access, extra bathroom), the council tax is charged at one band lower. This stacks with Council Tax Reduction.

Warm Home Discount / Winter Fuel Payment — national energy schemes administered by energy suppliers and DWP respectively. These do not affect council tax but reduce competing costs.

Crisis and Resilience Fund — the current council-administered fund may support eligible low-income households with food, energy, and other essentials. Check the council's current criteria and application route.

Council Tax Rebates: What Actually Exists

The phrase "council tax rebate" causes regular confusion. There is no standing annual rebate programme in East Riding. Past rebates (like the 2022 £150 energy rebate paid through council tax accounts) were one-off government schemes, now closed.

What is currently available is Council Tax Reduction, the Exceptional Hardship Fund, and the Crisis and Resilience Fund for its current funding period. If you have seen references to an East Riding council tax rebate, it almost certainly means one of these schemes — or a historical scheme that has ended.

Combining Support

The most effective approach is layering what is available. A working-age lone parent on Universal Credit in East Riding could qualify for:

1. 25% Single Person Discount (statutory)
2. Up to 80% Council Tax Reduction on the discounted amount
3. Exceptional Hardship Fund to cover the remaining 20% if needed
4. Crisis and Resilience Fund for food and energy costs that compete with the bill

Each scheme has its own application route and eligibility criteria. The complete East Riding Council Tax Reduction guide walks through the eligibility checks and income band calculations, with worked examples for different household types.

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