Apply for a Crisis Prevention Fund payment 2024
We have extended our Crisis Prevention Fund scheme for 2024. You may be able to get up to £300 if you are in a financial emergency or crisis and you do not have enough money for basics like food, gas or electricity. You will need to provide details of the emergency or crisis to qualify. Please note that this scheme is cash limited and is subject to review at this time.
Crisis Prevention payments are one-off awards to help H&F residents meet essential day-to-day living expenses if they:
- are in severe financial hardship and without our support could be at risk of being in crisis
- need immediate help and have no other source of financial support available to them.
Find out more about the scheme and what the payments can and can't be used for.
How much you can get
You can apply for a one off payment of up to £300 if you have not had a Crisis Prevention payment from us in the last rolling 6 months. The scheme is cash limited and therefore the scheme may close should the funds be exhausted before the end of the financial year.
The amount you receive will depend on your circumstances and the size of your household. The scheme is discretionary and there is no automatic entitlement, there is no right to appeal if you are deemed not eligible for support at this time.
All payments will be paid directly into your bank account, and once paid you won't have to pay anything back.
Who can apply
To apply for a Crisis Prevention payment you must:
- be a resident of Hammersmith & Fulham
- be 18 years of age or older or 16 and be responsible for younger children or have energy or water arrears that are causing you hardship
- be responsible for council tax or living independently and paying rent
- have less than £1,000 in total savings at the time you apply
- not have enough money for your short-term essential living expenses, due to an unexpected financial crisis, disaster or emergency
- have had a change in circumstance and are going to face hardship as a result. (For example, you are a pensioner and have lost your entitlement to Winter Fuel Allowance and will struggle to heat your home and keep warm this winter.)
You do not need to receive government benefits to apply, but you will need to show you don't have other money available.
You can also apply if you have temporary immigration status.
Priority groups for this scheme
We have identified the following groups as a priority for this scheme:
- older people in fuel hardship (including fuel and energy arrears), or who are worried about keeping warm during winter
- households with Disabled adults or children, who are struggling with higher utility bills
- Disabled and long-term ill residents claiming DLA, PIP or Incapacity Benefit
- unpaid carers (adults or children)
- care experienced young people
- large families with children under 5 years old
- single parents
- single-person households
- single-person households (with or without dependents) commonly contacting our cost-of-living crisis team
- individuals fleeing domestic violence or facing other community safety issues.
Applications will only be assessed for people who meet the eligibility criteria and fall into one of these groups.
How to apply
You can apply for a Crisis Prevention payment online at any time.
You will need to provide information about:
- where you live
- who you live with
- your circumstances
- your income and expenses
- your savings
- your health
- what help you are applying for
Please make sure you provide all the information you've been asked for.
If you don't have all the supporting evidence you need when you apply, you have up to 14 days to send it to us.
Failure to provide evidence within 14 days may lead to your application being refused. If you require more time to provide evidence, tell us why when you apply.
Incomplete applications will be closed after 14 days.
What happens next
We aim to process your application as soon as possible.
It may take longer to process your application if we need to contact you for more information.
Get help with your application
Contact our cost-of-living crisis team if are finding it difficult to apply online, or you have a question about a new or existing application.
You can call them on our free phone number 0800 917 6994. The line is open 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday.
British Sign Language (BSL) users can contact the team using a BSL video interpreter.
About the Crisis Prevention scheme
The Crisis Prevention scheme is for H&F residents who are struggling with essential day-to-day living expenses such as paying for food and utility bills (gas and electricity).
In some cases, we can provide financial assistance for other essential household items such as white goods and furniture.
In exceptional cases, we may also provide financial assistance for repairs and or replacements.
Assistance through the scheme is intended to help with one-off and short-term needs, rather than on-going financial hardship.
What the scheme will not cover
Not every application will be successful as our funds are very limited.
We will not make payments for:
- applications felt to be 'not an immediate need' or where other means of support are available
- applications from those with sufficient income or savings
- clothing (except in exceptional circumstances where someone is fleeing their home because of flood, fire or domestic violence)
- furniture and household items where living in private rented furnished accommodation or furnished temporary accommodation, where this is the responsibility of the landlord
- mortgages or mortgage arrears
- rent or rent arrears
- council tax or council tax arrears
- personal debts – we will refer to appropriate agencies for support
- phone costs or associated expenses
- parking fines, Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) or congestion zone charges
- court expenses (legal proceedings) such as legal fees, court fees, fines, costs – unless related to an individual voluntary arrangement (IVA)
expenses for self-employed businesses - vehicle repairs or improvements
- any need that occurs outside of the UK
- medical expenses, treatments or items of medication (unless related to running expenses for medical equipment)
- domestic assistance and respite care
- repairs to a local authority property or the property of housing trusts
- home repairs and improvements
If your application is unsuccessful, we may refer you to other advice and support that's tailored to your situation.
This may include advice on how to:
- reduce your energy bills
- claim benefits
- manage your budget and debt.
Privacy notice
Read our Crisis Prevention scheme privacy notice to see what we do with your personal information.