Contact Us
- crf@lancaster.gov.uk
- 01524 582000 (option 7)
- Lancaster Town Hall 09:00-16:30
- Morecambe Town Hall 09:00-16:30
Do I have to contact Lancaster City Council?
We will be working with many local organisations who you can approach instead. Details be be posted here soon.
CRF Eligibility
To be eligible for the scheme residents must be:
- Aged 16 or over.
- A current resident of the Lancaster District
- Willing to engage with Lancaster City Council and Citizens Advice North Lancashire
Can I apply more than once?
Yes you can apply for the CRF more than once.
For further applications we will consider the level of support you have previously received and whether you have fully engaged with Citizens Advice.
Application process
1. Complete our short online form
2. Provide all the required supporting documents
3. We will review the information provided against our records to ensure that all information provided is complete and accurate
4. Your application will be passed to Citizens Advice for them to arrange a telephone appointment with you
5. Citizens Advice will send us their recommendations
6. We will award you support from the Crisis & Resilience Fund
How long will my application take?
The entire process could take weeks.
- Once we have received all supporting documents, we will aim to review your application and send it to Citizens Advice within 10 working days.
- Citizens Advice will then contact you to arrange an appointment that suits yourself. Once this appointment has been completed they will send us their recommendations.
- We will then aim to award any support within 10 working days.
Can I appeal a decision if my application is unsuccessful?
As this is a discretionary scheme there is no right of appeal. However, if you think we have overlooked important information then you can ask for us to look at the application again by emailing crf@lancaster.gov.uk providing reasons along with your name, address and reference number.
What kind of support is available?
The types of support the fund can help with include:
- Utility bills
- Food
- Household appliances
- Housing costs
- Other essential items and household needs
If you need urgent food support, please contact us on 01524 582000 (Option 7) for a food parcel or email crf@lancaster.gov.uk with your contact information.
Below is also a link to the food support available within the district and a link to the LDCVS directory detailing other available support within the district.
Food Support
LDCVS Directory
Providing Supporting Documents
The quickest way to get your application processes is to upload the documents to the application form. if you are unable to do this, please email the documents to crf@lancaster.gov.uk.
Documents must be supplied in PDF format. Screenshots will not be accepted.
You can also provide your financial information directly at Morecambe Town Hall or Lancaster Town Hall Monday to Friday 9am - 4.30pm.
- You will need to provide at least one month of recent bank statements for all adults within the household. Evidence of any gambling on bank statements provided will be investigated further as awards may not be made where there is evidence of gambling.
- Alongside this we will also need a full breakdown of your universal credit statement.
- If you require support with utilities and you pay your energy bill by direct debit, we will require a copy of the front and back page of your most recent bill showing balance owed, account number and confirmation of what type of meter you have installed.
- If you pay your energy bill on pre-Payment meters we will need a statement of top ups from the provider.
- If you have arrears on your energy bills, we will require a copy of the bill showing the arrears, payments you have made towards these arrears and payment details for your supplier.
- If the required documents have not been provided, we cannot proceed with your application. Applications may be closed 10 working days from the application date if the documents are not provided. If you are having difficulty providing the required documents, please contact us.
Need help with providing your Bank Statement?
If you need support with downloading your bank statement, please choose the link to the bank you use and follow the advice on the page
If you do not see your bank in this list and still need support, please email crf@lancaster.gov.uk or call 01524 582000 (Option 7)
How do I provide a Universal Credit Statement?
If you receive part of your income from Universal Credit, we will need to see evidence of this. If you're unsure on how to get a statement for this, please follow the steps below:
1. Log in to your Universal Credit account here.
2. Go to the Payments page.
3. Click on the latest statement.
4. The statement will appear on your screen.
5. You can then select the option to 'Print to PDF' or 'Save as PDF'
6. Save the PDF document to your device
7. Attach the saved PDF file to an email and send it to crf@lancaster.gov.uk
CAB Assessment
As part of the assessment with Citizens Advice, the advisor will:
- Carry out a debt assessment and benefit check to identify debt support and ensure you are receiving all the income and benefits to which you may be entitled.
- Make recommendations to LCC for how we can use the Crisis and Resilience Fund to provide immediate or short term support.
- Carry out more in-depth follow-up appointments where required, involving your ongoing engagement.
Do I have to have an assessment over the phone?
If you require an in-person appointment, please specify this on the ‘notes’ section of your application. Please be aware this option may not always be possible.
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