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The Crisis and Resilience Fund scheme opened for new enquiries on the 1st of June 2026. The form is open for submissions from 9am - 5 pm Monday - Friday, and 9 - 11 am on Saturdays.
If you have already completed the enquiry form and you have received an email confirming it has been approved, you will have secured your place on the waiting list. You will be contacted by a member of the team, within the next 4-6 weeks to complete your full application.
Due to the high volume of enquiries, please be patient while the team works through the waiting list. Additionally, please ensure that you have your voicemail turned on, so the team can leave you a message if you miss your call, and that your phone accepts calls from withheld/private numbers.
*Completing the enquiry form does not mean that you are automatically entitled to receive a grant payment. Your eligibility will be checked during the application process, and you may be required to submit further documents; to verify the details you have supplied as part of your application, before any grant payment is made.
Once your application and necessary evidence have been submitted and approved, payments may take up to 10 working days to process, excluding bank holidays and weekends.
You can find more information and resources on BCC's Cost of Living Support Page and on the Government’s Cost of Living Hub.
You can also find out about what other support may be available for you, as well as finding out useful tips for saving money on the Help for Households campaign page.
When does it start?
Enquiry forms will be accepted from the 1st of June 2026 and we will continue to accept applications until all funding has been exhausted. We may temporarily pause new submissions to the online enquiry form if the waiting list becomes too full. Please visit this page for regular updates.
Who is eligible?
You must be a Birmingham Resident
You must be able to demonstrate that your household is experiencing financial hardship, and in particular, covering food and energy costs
Your household must not have received a grant payment in the last 12 months. If you have received a grant in the past, you will not be eligible to apply until 366 days after your last payment was received.
Please be aware that you may be asked to provide proof of address and proof of means-tested benefits (if you are in receipt of them) as part of your grant application.
How do you apply?
Please be advised that each household is only eligible to receive one grant payment in a 12-month period. e.g. If you received a payment on 15th June 2025, you cannot make another application until 16th June 2026. Any enquiry received before your eligibility date will be rejected.
Further Information
Please note that BVSC or Birmingham City Council does NOT send text messages to applicants or those on the waiting list asking you to click on a link and provide your bank details. This is a scam and is not associated with the Crisis and Resilience Fund or any other CRF activity.
The BVSC Grants network operates a zero-tolerance approach to abusive language, bullying and harassment. If any of these behaviours are observed during your application, with any member of our team, your grant application will not be completed.
Please respect the time and hard work our CRF team are dedicating to help support as many households as possible during this cost-of-living crisis.
You do not need to pay any fee to apply for a the Grant. Should any organisation request a fee from you to apply, please do not give them any personal details and contact BVSC immediately to report them.
Please be advised that each household is only eligible to receive one £220 grant payment in a 12-month period. e.g. If you received a payment on 30th November 2025, you cannot make another application until 1st December 2026. Any enquiry received before your eligibility date will be rejected.
The application system actively monitors submitted applications, looking for signs of fraud and details of any attempts to make fraudulent applications and/or fraudulently receive grant funding may be shared with West Midlands Police.
Receiving a grant from this fund will not impact any other benefits you may be receiving or may be entitled to.
Grant payments are made directly into a bank account in the applicant’s name. If you do not currently have a bank account, please click the link below for details on how to open a Basic Bank Account.
Opening A Basic Bank Account
What additional support is available?
You can find more information and resources on BCC's Cost of Living Support Page and on the Government’s Cost of Living Hub.
You can also find out about what other support may be available for you, as well as finding out useful tips for saving money on the Help for Households campaign page.
How can I make contact with the BVSC CRF team?
Please use our automated phone line to check the status of your enquiry or application: 0121 634 7100
Any other queries, please direct to crf@bvsc.org
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