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Crisis and Resilience Fund - Housing Payments (CHP)

From April 2026, Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) are being replaced by housing payments under Hertsmere's Crisis and Resilience Fund. This fund continues to help cover rent for residents experiencing financial difficulty.

Who can apply?

  • You must be a Hertsmere resident
  • You must be receiving Housing Benefit or the housing element of Universal Credit
  • You are experiencing difficulty paying rent due to temporary financial crisis

We may award a Crisis and Resilience Fund Housing Payment (CHP) for several reasons, for example:

  • rent eligible for benefit has been restricted because of the bedroom tax
  • the benefit cap has been applied
  • there is exceptional financial hardship

How to apply

To apply for a CHP, you need to complete our online form

Apply for CHP

When you apply for a CHP, you will need to provide:

  • your last 2 months bank statements for all accounts, showing all transactions
  • proof of any debts you have listed on your application form
  • proof of any medical conditions
  • an up-to-date rent statement showing any rent arrears you owe

What happens next?

We will look at your application once we have received all the information. We will then write to you explaining the decision and tell you how you will receive payments, if you are awarded extra help.

CHPs are generally short term payments intended to give you time to resolve your financial situation or find affordable alternative accommodation.

What happens if I do not agree with your decision?

CHPs do not have any official appeal rights. However, you can ask for us to look at the decision again. To do this, you will need to put this in writing. You will need to include:

  • the reason you disagree with the decision
  • any other factors that you think are important
  • any evidence to support your request

There is no right of appeal against a Crisis and Resilience Fund Housing Payment decision but you may be able to apply for a Judicial Review in the High Court. You will need to seek legal advice on this.

If you are unhappy with how your claim was handled, you can make a formal complaint to the council. If you still think your complaint has not been handled correctly, you should contact the local government ombudsman.

Please note: You must SUBMIT your application form once completed. If you do not submit your form, your application details will be deleted after 90 days in line with GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018