Councillor endorses crisis fund delivery plan
A meeting was held
A delivery plan to support families on low incomes has secured the backing of a county council cabinet member.
On Friday (June 19), Cllr Mark Estcourt (Reform), East Sussex County Council’s lead member for adult social care and health, considered a report linked to the government Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF).
The CRF has been described as the successor to the Household Support Fund (HSF).
Council officers say it has been designed with “the explicit intention of moving away from and reducing short‑term crisis mitigation and increasing prevention, financial resilience, and reducing reliance on emergency support such as food banks.”
Cllr Estcourt signed off on a delivery plan, which the council is required to submit to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) by July 1.
The plan sets out how the council intends to spend CRF monies, including the almost £7.3m it has been allocated for the 2026/27 financial year.
Some elements of the fund have already been mobilised, such as the heating oil support scheme launched in April and the provision of interim crisis payments through Citizens Advice services.
The council has also been using CRF to provide food vouchers to families with children who qualify for free school meals during the Easter holidays and May half term.
The report says the vouchers — provided in the past as part of the HSF — were considered to be a transitional measure this year. The council intends to replace the vouchers with “more targeted and sustainable support from summer 2026”, the plan notes.
The council says it is in process of commissioning a longer-term Crisis Payment Service, which is expected to be operational in September 2026.
A similar report is due to go in front of Cllr Daniel Bradley, lead member for children and families, on Monday (June 22).