Councillor Seema Chandwani, Cabinet Member for Resident Services & Tackling Inequality, is scheduled to consider proposals for the allocation of the new Crisis and Resilience Fund. The meeting will also cover filming at meetings and the admission of urgent business.

Crisis and Resilience Fund Policy

A significant item on the agenda is the proposed policy for the Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF), which is set to run from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2029. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has launched this fund, which replaces the Household Support Fund (HSF) and Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP) schemes. Haringey Council has been allocated £5,932,161 for the first year of the fund (1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027).

The CRF has four key objectives:

• To provide crisis support to low-income residents experiencing material deprivation.
• To offer additional support with rental costs for low-income residents unable to meet their housing liability.
• To deliver resilience services aimed at improving residents' financial resilience.
• To enhance community collaboration to improve advice provision within the borough.

The report seeks approval for the Crisis and Resilience Fund Interim Funding Allocation Principles: April 2026. This will allow for the partial allocation of CRF funding to ensure the continuity of existing initiatives previously supported by the HSF and DHP. A total of £2,470,000 is proposed for allocation, with specific amounts earmarked for crisis support, including the Haringey Support Fund (up to £550,000) and holiday support for Free School Meals vouchers (up to £450,000). Additionally, up to £1,192,000 is proposed for housing support, and up to £278,000 for administration costs, including IT and staffing.

The report notes that a full policy on administering the fund will be agreed by the Council's Cabinet later in the year. The proposed interim allocation is crucial to avoid a gap in provision and to comply with DWP requirements for year-round support. The decision is considered a Key Decision and is subject to the availability of government funding.

The report also highlights the Council's commitment to its Corporate Delivery Plan 2024–2026 and its efforts to mitigate the impact of the rising cost-of-living. The Public Sector Equality Duty under the Equality Act 2010 has been considered, with the proposal expected to have a positive impact on equalities, particularly for children and those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.

The meeting documentation includes the Public reports pack 24th-Mar-2026 11.00 Cabinet Member Signing.pdf ¹.