Croydon Council change to family support

Croydon Council has informed us of an important change to how local families receive financial support. The government’s Household Support Fund ended on March 31, 2026 and it is being replaced by a new program called the Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF).

Because the government has changed the rules for how this money can be spent, there is a major change coming for
families:

• What is changing: The new fund is strictly designed for emergency crisis support and one-off financial shocks. It does not allow councils to give out automatic “blanket” vouchers to everyone just because a child gets free school meals.
• What this means for you: There will be no more Supermarket vouchers issued by schools.
• Future support: Low-income households will still be able to apply for help through the new fund, but it will be based on individual financial emergencies rather than being given out automatically to all free school meal families.

You can find more information and guidance on the Crisis and Resilience Fund on the Government website linked here.

Local Food Banks

We understand this news may affect several families. If you need assistance, the following local food banks are available to provide support:

• Salvation Army on Booth Road, Croydon
• Shining Roots, London Road, Croydon