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Planned System Maintenance - Limited Service

Sunderland City Council will be carrying out planned system maintenance from 12 noon on Friday 5th June until 7am on Tuesday 9th June. During this period, we will only be able to respond to urgent enquiries. If your enquiry is not urgent, please contact us before or after these times when full services will be available. We apologise for any inconvenience caused and thank you for your understanding.

CRF - Crisis Payments

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What Crisis Payments are for  

Crisis Payments are a type of short term help for people who cannot afford their immediate, essential needs.

You may be able to get a Crisis Payment if:

  • You have had a sudden financial shock (such as an unexpected bill or a drop in income), or
  • You are at risk of going into a crisis, or your current crisis could get worse without help

Note: It is normally one award in a 12 month period, repeat awards are only made by exception.

When Crisis Payments may help

People may need a Crisis Payment after situations like:

  • A fire, flood, or other serious household emergency
  • A health emergency or accident that leads to extra, unexpected costs
  • Needing to leave your home quickly due to domestic abuse
  • The breakdown or lack of an essential item, such as a cooker, fridge, or boiler
  • Money being stolen or in some situations lost (proof is needed)
  • A short term gap in income, such as redundancy or a sudden change in work

For more information see the CRF Crisis Payment Policy.

What Crisis Payments can help with

A Crisis Payment may give help towards essential, day to day costs, such as:

  • Food and essential groceries
  • Energy costs for heating, lighting, and cooking
  • Essential housing costs if no other help is available and you are at risk of eviction
  • Hygiene products, such as soap, toothpaste, or period products
  • Clothing were essential
  • Essential household furniture and appliances, such as a bed, fridge, cooker or washing machine
  • Essential travel, such as bus fares, fuel, or emergency car repairs
  • Digital essentials, such as help to stay connected if needed for safety or wellbeing

Note: Where costs relate to non-priority debts (such as non-urgent water bill arrears), we may refer you to debt or money advice instead. 

Who can apply 

Crisis Payments are for people on low incomes. This usually includes:

  • People recieving Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Council Tax Support or Housing Benefit
  • People earning around the Living Wage (example hourly rate £14.79)
  • People with limited savings (savings may affect your award)

Other rules about who can apply:

Students cannot normally get a Crisis Payment unless they receive one of the benefits listed above.

People with no recourse to public funds usually cannot get a Crisis Payment. However, very limited help may be available through:

  • Together for Children (for children)
  • Adult Social Care (for adults)  

How to apply 

You can apply by contacting the council's Home and Money Team on 0191 520 5551. A member of staff will complete the application with you.

We aim to contact you within two working days for a full telephone assessment, and you may be asked to provided supporting evidence to support your application.

Urgent cases will be prioritised wherever possible. 

Types of awards

The council holds the right to decide how any award is paid.

Your award will depend on your needs, your circumstances, and the assessment.

Awards may be given as:

  • money paid to your bank
  • cash out vouchers
  • supermarket vouchers or fuel top ups
  • essential household items supplied directly
  • a mix of the above

Other support

If you are struggling with money, benefits, debt, or housing, there are free support services in Sunderland that can help at Managing your money and Get help and advice.

Sunderland City Council has partnered with Lightning Reach to help residents access the financial support they may be eligible for. Lightning Reach is a free, secure online portal that helps people find and apply for financial assistance - all in one place. To find out more and apply, visit Lightning Reach. 

If your application is refused or you disagree with the decision

If you think we made the wrong decision, you can request a review within one month of the date on your decision letter. To do this, please complete the CRF - Crisis Payment Review Form and email it to [email protected], or print off a paper copy and hand it in at City Hall, Plater Way, Sunderland SR1 3AA.

How we protect public funds 

The council must protect public money.

If a Crisis Payment is overpaid, we may recover the amount.

If someone gives false information or makes a fraudulent claim, we may investigate. This could lead to recovery action and, in serious cases, criminal proceedings.

We may also work with the DWP, and the police where needed.