Blackburn with Darwen Council given cash to help residents cope with cost of living crisis

Blackburn with Darwen Council has been given more than £10million over three years to help hard up residents cope with the cost of living crisis.

The grant is under the government’s new Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF).

This replaces the Household Support Fund (HSF) which has provided vital short-term help with food, energy and essential living costs since 2021, comes to an end on March 31.

Blackburn with Darwen’s allocation was revealed to the council’s executive board meeting on Thursday by public health and housing boss Cllr Damian Talbot.

He told his colleagues that the authority will receive £3,669,013.51 in 2026/27, £3,667,137.93 in 2027/2028, and £3,703,976.91 in 2028/29.

Cllr Talbot said: “The CRF marks a significant shift away from temporary grant-based assistance toward a more coordinated, preventative, multi-agency model.

“For Blackburn with Darwen, this means establishing new arrangements at pace to ensure there is no gap in crisis support for residents from April 1 onwards.

“The CRF represents a shift from short-term, emergency grant-based support towards a more stable, preventative, multi-agency model designed to strengthen financial resilience, invest in voluntary, community, faith-based, and social enterprise capacity, and reduce repeat crisis demand.

“As part of the Government’s fundamental change to supporting residents, the CRF introduces Housing Payments to provide financial assistance to help residents meet their housing costs.

“Prior to April 1 2026, this support was provided by the Department for Work and Pensions Discretionary Housing Payment scheme.

“The new Housing Payment scheme does contain the same objectives as the earlier DWP scheme and will continue to provide financial assistance with housing costs for those with financial difficulties, who have a shortfall in Housing Benefit or Universal Credit housing costs.

“To ensure the continuity of support on housing costs, the scheme will be allocated £227,000 for the financial year 2026/27.”

Burnley Council is to receive £1,362,500 via Lancashire County Council for the CRF which includes £79,470 of Affordable Warmth funding.

Reporting the grant to the authority’s executive meeting on Wednesday Housing, Health and Culture boss Cllr Jack Launer says: “This will continue to support the most vulnerable during the continued cost of living crisis and to improve financial resilience.

“The CRF grants are part of the government’s package of support, targeted at those vulnerable families and adults who are most in need, to help them to cope with the cost of essentials.

“The core aim of the CRF is to provide effective crisis support while reducing future demand for crisis services by improving individual and community financial resilience.”