Somerset Council has formed a three-year partnership with Citizens Advice Somerset, awarding them a contract to help and support residents using the Government’s Crisis and Resilience Fund.
Somerset Council has received £22.661 million from the Government to provide vital assistance to residents facing financial hardship and cost-of-living pressures in the county which are to be distributed over the next three years via the community sector and direct payments. The funding, called the Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF), is designed to offer targeted help to people facing sudden financial difficulties.
The support is provided in three ways:
1. Crisis Payments
- Immediate, accessible financial support for families and individuals facing financial shocks or hardship.
- Delivered through a cash-first approach to ensure dignity and choice, with flexibility for vouchers or goods-in-kind where needed.
2. Resilience Services
- Wraparound support to prevent recurring crises, including debt advice and budgeting guidance.
- Income maximisation and benefits advice.
- Employment and skills pathways.
- Focus on building financial stability and reducing dependency on emergency support.
3. Community Coordination
- Working in partnership to ensure everyone in Somerset has access to the right support at the right time, to build resilient communities
- The CRF is being co-produced and delivered by a range of partner organisations across Somerset – the Crisis & Resilience Fund Alliance.
Somerset Council has appointed Citizens Advice Somerset as the CRF Alliance Lead to help it deliver support to Somerset communities using the funding. As Alliance Lead, Citizens Advice Somerset will work with Somerset Council and other VCFSE partners such as Age UK Somerset, SASP, Somerset Community Foundation and Thrive, to deliver targeted support, strengthen community resilience, provide crisis intervention, and ensure access to wellbeing and financial assistance for vulnerable residents.
More information about all the support available can be found opens in a new windowon the Council’s website, search ‘cost of living support’. To apply for crisis payments only, visit Citizens Advice Somerset’s opens in a new windowwebsite.
Claire Winter, Executive Director for Children, Families and Education at Somerset Council, said:
“Our local VCFSE partners are in an excellent position to identify the needs of our most vulnerable residents early, and the work they do is well suited to giving these individuals the support they need.
“This is why we’re really pleased to be working with Citizens Advice Somerset and other local partners to provide a wide variety of support for the people who need it, ensuring that everyone in Somerset has access to the right support at the right time.”
Angela Kerr, CEO of Citizens Advice Somerset, said:
“Citizens Advice Somerset is thrilled to have been confirmed as the Alliance Lead for the Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF) across Somerset. We’re looking forward to building on our existing work with VCFSE partners and Somerset Council, to make sure help and support is easily available at a local level. Combining crisis payments with preventative and wraparound support will make a real difference.”
The CRF ensures continued support for residents facing the ongoing pressure of rising living costs.
If parents are concerned about the change, especially during the Easter holidays, other existing sources of help are available.
Families of children receiving free school meals who are struggling with food costs during the Easter school break (3 April to 19 April 2026), can access Citizens Advice Somerset’s Easter Holiday Family Support service. Eligible households will receive supermarket vouchers funded by the CRF, upon completion of an application and submission of relevant evidence.
For further details, including eligibility and the application form, opens in a new windowvisit Citizens Advice Somerset’s website.
During the Easter break, families can also benefit from the opens in a new windowHappy Healthy Holidays (HHH) programme organised by Somerset Activity and Sports Partnership (SASP), running from 3 April to 19 April 2026. Eligible families can register for holiday clubs and camps, which include meals.
There’s also the Council’s opens in a new window#Help4All scheme, opens in a new windowCommunity Hubs, the opens in a new windowHealthy Start – NHS – healthy food and milk and opens in a new windowThe Local Pantry Network in Somerset.
Urgent financial assistance is also available for households struggling to pay for heating oil. If you are a low-income household and are at risk of running out visit the opens in a new windowCitizens Advice Somerset website for full details and to apply using the application form. If you are unable to use the internet, call 0808 278 7842 and select option 3.
For more information on the Crisis Resilience Fund, see the Executive Committee’s decision report opens in a new windowCrisis and Resilience Fund Key Decision – 2026_2029.pdf.
