What Help Is Available With Food and Essential Costs?

If you do not have enough money for food, energy or basic household essentials, the immediate priority is making sure essential needs are covered.

You do not need to wait until every other financial problem is solved before asking for crisis support.

What help might my council provide?

Local councils can operate crisis and welfare-support schemes. In England, the Crisis and Resilience Fund provides funding for Crisis Payments and other local support from April 2026.

Exactly what is available depends on the council. Help may include cash-first support or assistance with food, fuel and essential household needs.

What other support should I check?

Check whether you are receiving all benefits and entitlements available to you. A change in work, illness, disability, caring responsibilities or household circumstances can alter what you may qualify for.

Local charities, food-support organisations and grant-making charities may also help in particular circumstances.

What if debt repayments are leaving nothing for food?

Do not automatically use all available money to pay unsecured creditors while leaving yourself without essentials.

A free debt adviser can help identify priority debts and work out what is genuinely affordable after essential household costs.

Avoid solving one crisis by creating another

High-cost borrowing can appear to solve an immediate shortage but may make the following weeks or months harder.

Before taking new credit to buy essentials, check crisis support, benefits, creditor forbearance and free debt advice.

What should I do today?

Write down the immediate need: food for the next few days, electricity credit, toiletries, essential travel or another basic cost.

Then contact the council or appropriate local support service and explain the immediate problem clearly. If there is a wider ongoing shortfall, arrange a benefits check and debt advice alongside the emergency help.

7.38: What Emergency Financial Help Might My Council Provide?

7.39: I’m Struggling With Debt, Where Do I Start?

7.10: How Can I Check Whether I’m Missing Out on Benefits?

Important information

This guide provides general information and is not intended to provide financial, benefits, debt, housing or legal advice. Individual circumstances can be different. Check current information from official sources and seek advice from an appropriately qualified or authorised adviser before making important financial decisions.