Apply for a Crisis and Resilience Fund payment

Local authorities in England are given funding to support communities and help people facing financial crisis.

Until the main CRF scheme launches in summer 2026, financial assistance is still available for households unable to afford the cost of oil heating.

Financial support for oil heating

Emergency financial help is now available to low‑income households in the Canterbury district who rely on heating oil, are close to running out, and cannot afford the minimum delivery volume.

Your circumstances

To get oil heating support, you must:

• be aged 16 or over
• be permanently living in the Canterbury district
• get means‑tested benefits or have a total household income of £33,000 or less per year
• use heating oil as the main source of heating and or hot water
• have 150 litres of heating oil or less remaining
• be unable to afford the minimum order needed for a heating oil delivery

We will prioritise applications from households with less than 100 litres of oil remaining.

Evidence you need to submit

You will need to give us proof of your financial circumstances, such as:

• bank statements or payslips from the last three months
• evidence of any means-tested benefits you get
• proof of your identity and address, such as a council tax bill or utility bill and national insurance number

We also need proof of heating oil use, such as:

• a recent invoice or delivery receipt, or
• bank statement showing payment to a heating oil supplier, or
• tenancy agreement confirming oil‑based heating

We will need evidence of the current tank level, such as a photo of the gauge.

How to apply

If you meet the criteria, you can complete an application form. A support service worker, family member or friend can also submit an application on your behalf.

Apply for a Crisis and Resilience Fund payment

If you’re unable to complete an online application form, please contact us on 01227 862000.

When will I know the outcome?

We will try to let you know of the outcome of your application within 28 days of it being submitted. This may be longer in busier periods, or if you don't give us the evidence we need.

Getting the award

If you meet the eligibility criterial and give the right evidence, you will get £300 towards the rising cost of heating oil rather than the full cost.

When will the main CRF scheme start?

We expect the main CRF to start from Summer 2026. We will have more details, including how to apply, as soon as the scheme is live.

Other places to get help

You can get help and advice for the cost of living, including:

• food and housing costs
• money and debt
• paying bills
• health and wellbeing

Families eligible for free school meals can get free activities and help with food through the Holiday Activities and Food Programme during school holidays.

You can also find information and support on GOV.UK towards bills, childcare and housing.

See our privacy notice for how we'll use your data to process applications.

You can also see the Crisis and Resilience Fund framework which explains the application process and types of evidence we accept.