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The Crisis & Resilience Fund supports people facing unexpected financial difficulties, such as loss of job or benefit or appliance such as Fridge Freezer has broken down and no means to pay for another one.

This is a limited pot of funding and not everyone who requires help will be successful in receiving an award.

Please note, previous schemes have now CLOSED:

• Household Support Fund
• Cambridge Local Assistance Scheme (CLAS)

Everyone that requires help from this pot of funding will be required to:

• Provide bank statements for ALL of their accounts for the last 3 months
• Provide their latest Universal Credit statement & Wage slip (where applicable)
• Engage with our advisers who will carry out a full exploration of your circumstances / situation during an appointment over the phone or face to face
• Engage with our advisers to put together an accurate budget sheet, which represents your current situation
• Your situation will be assessed using all of the above information and evidence. Those assessed as being IN NEED due to unexpected financial difficulties may receive an award. There is no promise that an award will be granted.

Please Note – we will need proof of your income and expenditure as part of the assessment process. Awards cannot be made without this proof.

The scheme DOES NOT provide:

• Cash in hand
• Bank transfers
• Ongoing financial support

Following assessment, if successful, the scheme provides:

• Information & Advice as to how you can improve your situation
• Practical help to assist you to make necessary changes
• Discretionary assistance in the form of a one-off voucher for a small amount of money.

This enables those eligible to:

• Improve their immediate financial position
• Cope and better support themselves
• Use relevant resources to succeed in the long term

This could include:

• Low cost re used and refurbished household items such as furniture or an appliance such as a fridge freezer
• Clothing
• Food vouchers
• Help with the cost of household energy

Eligibility criteria

Applicants must have lived in Cambridgeshire for at least six months. You can also apply if you have fled to the area for your own safety. Maximum of one award per household in a 12-month period.

To apply to the Scheme, you must have no savings and receive one of the following means tested benefits:

• Universal Credit
• Pension Credit (Guaranteed Element)

Only 1 application considered. Please do not submit multiple forms. Our advisers are working hard to process the applications which are being made and will be in contact with you as soon as they can. Please allow 5 working days.

Also please note that when our advisers call you this will be from a withheld/ private number.

What to do next

Contact us via our enquiry form to start the process, to tell us about your situation and why you require support from this fund. You will need to fill in the online form with your contact information and attach the required documents and Crisis & Resilience Fund may be able to support you.