25096 Cambridgeshire County Council - Crisis Payment Scheme

In 2021, the Household Support Fund (HSF) was established to provide a short-term boost to funding and mitigate the cost-of-living crisis. In Cambridgeshire this money was used to support households experiencing immediate financial hardship, through the provision of financial vouchers or cash payments to help cover the cost of household energy bills and food. In the year from April 2024-March 2025, more than £3.6 million was spent on free school meal holiday provisions, whilst more than £500,000 was split between Citizens Advice Bureau, Cambridgeshire Local Assistance Scheme, and Cambridgeshire ACRE.

The Crisis Payment Scheme will replace the Cambridgeshire Local Assistance Scheme (CLAS) as the primary route for financial crisis support in the county. The CLAS scheme ended on 31st March and the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) has been contracted on an interim basis (1st April - 30th September 2026) to provide support before the new CRF crisis payment scheme is fully launched on 1st October 2026. This interim support includes providing one-off cash grants or vouchers, in-kind support to address immediate crises; and information, advice and guidance to improve the resilience and financial stability of service users.