Bury Council has received funding from the UK Government to administer the Crisis and Resilience Fund.
The scheme is intended to support low‑income households facing unexpected financial difficulties, while also strengthening long‑term individual and community financial resilience and prevention.
The fund will operate from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2029, inclusive.
Crisis payments
Crisis payments will be available for low‑income households in Bury to:
- support residents who have experienced a financial shock – a sudden and unexpected expense or reduction in income that puts pressure on their budget or well-being; or
- prevent individuals from entering crisis, by offering timely support to help people stay in control, manage financial pressures, and stop situations from escalating.
Crisis payments are intended to meet occasional or short‑term needs. They cannot act as a replacement for regular income.
Housing payments
As part of the national redesign, support towards certain housing costs will now form part of the Crisis and Resilience Fund. This support is available to residents receiving:
- Housing Benefit, or
- Universal Credit with housing costs included
Housing support may help with:
- rent shortfalls
- support to prevent homelessness
- other essential housing‑related financial pressures
Applications will be assessed using Bury Council’s current Discretionary Housing Payment policy
Wraparound support to build long‑term financial resilience
A key aim of the new fund is to help residents not only through emergencies but to reduce the likelihood of future crises. This includes linking people with a wide range of support, such as:
- income maximisation
- budgeting and debt advice
- wider welfare support
- community‑based prevention services
- support to build control, confidence, and resilience
Bury Council works with a wide range of partners to ensure residents can access all eligible support based on individual needs.
Application process
Please complete the form below.
You will need to register and create an account to access the application form and provide all information requested to enable the council to make a decision.
If you need to pause during the application process the form will still be available for you to complete when you log back into your account.
Please complete and submit your original application and do not attempt to start a new application as you may end up with multiple incomplete claims.
We aim to respond to applications as quickly as possible. If you do not receive a response within 14 days please contact us. You can get in touch by visiting us in one of our Resident Support Hubs, which are at Bury Town Hall and Radcliffe Primary Care Centre, Monday to Friday 9am-5pm. Alternatively, you can contact us by email at residentsupport@bury.gov.uk.
Administration and reviews
The Crisis and Resilience Fund is funded by the UK Government and administered by Bury Council.
There is no statutory right of appeal against decisions relating to Crisis and Resilience Fund awards, or the level of any award made.
If you are refused an award, or you are unhappy with the amount awarded, you may request a review of the decision by contacting the Welfare Support Team within one month of being notified.
Your review will be carried out by an officer who was not involved in the original decision.
Complaints about how the scheme has been administered should be submitted through Bury Council’s complaints procedure.
The next available route after this would be judicial review.