Crisis and Resilience Fund Housing Payments (formerly DHP)
Crisis and Resilience Funds (CRF) Housing Payments (previously known as Discretionary Housing Payments) can provide additional financial support to people who currently receive Housing Benefit from Malvern Hills District Council or housing costs from the Universal Credit Department.
CRF Housing Payments can help with housing costs for those affected by:
- the benefit cap
- the Under Occupation reduction in social sector housing (14% reduction if under occupying by 1 bedroom or 25% if under occupying by 2 or more bedrooms)
- Local Housing Allowance (LHA) restrictions
- non-dependent deductions
- costs associated with taking up a new tenancy, for example, removal costs and rent deposits.
You cannot apply for CRF Housing Payments to pay for:
- The cost of things Housing Benefit or the housing element of Universal Credit deem ineligible e.g. utility costs, meals or personal care
- Historic rent arrears
- Overpayment deductions being made from your Housing Benefit or housing costs to pay back money previously overpaid to you
- Council Tax charges.
How much help can I get?
The amount you receive and the length of time you are awarded help, depends on your personal circumstances. In some cases, we may not deem CRF Housing Payments suitable for your situation and may signpost you elsewhere for advice or assistance.
Malvern Hills District Council may be able to award payments for a short period, but we will often ask for additional steps to be taken by you to improve your circumstances and avoid reliance on this limited additional fund. These requests may include downsizing, moving to more affordable accommodation, considering a lodger, or reducing expenditure on non-essential items or subscriptions.
If your circumstances change, while you are in receipt of ongoing payments, you must inform us immediately as this could alter the amount we can continue to pay.
CRF housing payments are short term awards only and therefore should not be relied upon for any length of time.
What does Malvern Hills District Council look at when deciding CRF Housing Payments?
When you apply, we'll look at:
- your income, including any benefits you get
- your savings
- if you have any loans or debts
- if there is anyone in your house that could help you to pay your shortfall
- if anyone in your house is ill or disabled
- what you have done to try and pay your rent or housing costs
- whether you are due money back from a former rental property deposit.
How can I apply for CRF Housing Payments?
To apply for CRF Housing Payments, please complete our application.
If you have an exceptional reason why you are unable to complete the online form, please contact us on 03004 560 560 for additional support in making your application.
You will be given the opportunity to upload your supporting evidence during the online application process. If for any reason you don’t have the information available at the point of application, you can send your supporting evidence via email to
If you send an email, please ensure you include your name, address, and the application reference number provided to you when you completed the form. This is important, as it will mean we can easily link your email to your claim.
We aim to be in touch with a decision within 28 days of receiving your application wherever possible. It is important you supply us with supporting evidence to speed up the decision on your application.
What if I disagree with the decision?
You can write to us and ask us to review your application again within one month of the date of our decision and provide any additional supporting evidence that you think may affect the outcome of the initial decision. We will then write to you with the outcome of the review.
Please note that CRF Housing Payments are at Malvern Hills District Council's discretion and consequently there is no further right of appeal.
Other support from the Crisis and Resilience Fund
The Government has announced the Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF) to help people facing financial crisis. The CRF is funded by the UK Government and will run for three years until 31 March 2029.
This national programme provides funding to councils in England to:
- support residents who cannot meet essential costs such as food, energy, or household items
- strengthen long-term financial resilience, helping households increase income, reduce expenses, and manage financial shocks
- ensure support is fair, accessible, flexible, and based on individual need.
Support may include crisis payments such as cash payments, vouchers, essential household items, and access to preventative services.
More information regarding the scheme can be found on Worcestershire County Council's Crisis and Resilience Fund page.
Worcestershire County Council will work with Malvern Hills District Council and the voluntary & community sector partners to deliver support across four key areas:
- Crisis payments
- Housing payments
- Resilience services
- Community co-ordination.