Purpose

The Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF) is a UK
Government scheme from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
It will commence 1 April 2026 and run until 31 March 2029. It
replaces both the Household Support Fund (HSF) and Discretionary
Housing Payments (DHPs).

Its purpose is to create a long term, sustainable system of local
support that provides immediate crisis assistance while
strengthening the financial resilience of low-income households
over time.

Provisional funding for Newcastle in year 1 is £5,926,670,
this is an increase of £115k from 2025/26 HSF and DHP funding
combined.

This report proposes the use of £245k of the funding to
provide Free School Meal vouchers for those who are eligible for
Easter 2026.

The remaining funding will be subject to further Delegated
Decisions.

Content

Use an initial £245k of the Crisis and
Resilience Fundingfor food vouchers for children in receipt of free
school meals during the school holidays for Easter
2026.