Issue - meetings
Crisis and Resilience Fund
Meeting: 10/03/2026 - Cabinet (Item 7)
7 Crisis and Resilience Fund 
PDF 178 KB
Additional documents:
- Appendix 1, item 7
PDF 122 KB
- Appendix 2, item 7
PDF 223 KB
- Appendix 3, item 7
PDF 195 KB
- Appendix 4, item 7
PDF 185 KB
Minutes:
Background:
The report provided details of the Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF). This was a new three?year national scheme (1 April 2026 - 31 March 2029) providing grant funding to local authorities in England to deliver preventative financial support and direct crisis assistance to residents. It replaced the Household Support Fund and Discretionary Housing Payments, creating a single framework for crisis and resilience.
The report set out the spending plans for Medway Council’s allocation for the financial year 2026/27. Medway’s allocation was £4.590m and was contained within the final Local Government settlement.
Resilience Services would be provided by the Council. Medway’s Voluntary and Community Services was designed to increase team capacity to provide support and development of skills to improve employment opportunities. A Community Supermarket would be opening that would provide an alternative to foodbanks and encourage financial independence.
A Diversity Impact Assessment had been undertaken in relation to the Crisis and Resilience Fund and was set out at Appendix 4 to the report.
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Decision number: |
Decision:
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44/2026 |
The Cabinet agreed the proposals as the Council’s approach to delivering the Crisis and Resilience Fund in 2026/27, as set out in Appendix 1 to the report, and agreed to delegate authority to the Chief Operating Officer, in consultation with the Leader of the Council, to finalise and implement these proposals. |
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45/2026 |
The Cabinet agreed the two new policies required for Crisis Payments and Housing Payments, as set out in Appendix 2 to the report - Medway Council Crisis Payment Policy and Appendix 3 to the report - Medway Council Housing Payment Policy. These policies would be implemented on 1 April 2026 and reviewed annually. |
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46/2026 |
The Cabinet agreed to delegate authority to the Chief Operating Officer, in consultation with the Leader of the Council, to make minor amendments to the proposals set out in Appendix 1 to the report, to enable them to continue to support vulnerable households in Medway in line with the objectives of the fund. |
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47/2026 |
The Cabinet agreed to delegate authority to the Chief Operating Officer, in consultation with the Leader of the Council, to provide a delivery plan to the Department for Work and Pensions, in accordance with the fund guidance, by July 2026. |
Reasons:
Due to the short timescales, it has not been possible to fully develop every aspect of the fund’s spend in time for 1 April 2026. The spend and activities will require additional refinement which can be achieved with the appropriate delegations.
The delivery plan is due back to the DWP by 1 July 2026, which will be approved by the Leader and Chief Operating Officer (under S.151 duties).
The Cabinet will see the cumulative effect of the Crisis and Resilience Funding presented in Summer 2026 within the Cost-of-Living Crisis Response Plan.