Skip to content
Date updated: 22/04/2025

The Emergency Support Scheme can help if you are facing a crisis, emergency or disaster and are unable to afford essentials. In order to access this support, you must meet the requirements below.

This scheme aims to support and assist those

  • experiencing a crisis or an emergency
  • being resettled into the community following a period in institutional or residential care
  • needing support to prevent them from entering institutional or residential care
  • families under exceptional pressure
  • setting up home as part of a planned resettlement

Types of support available

Depending on your reason for applying to the Emergency Support Scheme, support can include payments for:

  • food
  • fuel
  • clothing
  • furniture
  • white goods
  • emergency travel
  • other household items

In order to qualify for the scheme, you must:

  • be 16 years of age or over
  • live in the City of London. Those living in City of London Corporation properties outside of the City must apply to their host borough for assistance
  • be living in temporary accommodation provided by the City of London Corporation and have been offered permanent accommodation in a City Corporation property
  • those recently placed in temporary accommodation or moving between different temporary accommodation properties are not eligible for help
  • not having savings of more than £6,000
  • have an income of less than £30,000 per year, or be in receipt of at least one of the benefits outlined below:
    • Bereavement Benefit
    • Carer's Allowance
    • Employment & Support Allowance (ESA - contributory)
    • Housing Benefit
    • Incapacity Benefit
    • Industrial Death Benefit
    • Industrial Injuries Benefit
    • Jobseeker's Allowance
    • Maternity Allowance
    • Pension Credit
    • Universal Credit
    • Widows Benefit

How to apply

To see if you quality for this type of support, please choose one of the options that best describes your situation from the City of London Emergency Support Scheme website. This service is provided by Lambeth Council on behalf of the City Corporation. 

If you need help completing the application form, contact City Advice.

You will be eligible to apply to the scheme once per year only. 

If your application is successful

We will send you a decision letter, by email or post - depending on the information you provide - stating how your award will be made and what to do next.

We will make a decision on whether to award your application based on your eligibility and your reasons for applying. We aim to make a decision about your application within 24 hours for crisis support and 72 hours for community support.

You do not qualify for this type of benefit if:

  • you have received an award of crisis support under the Emergency Support Scheme within the past 12 months
  • you have received a Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) Budgeting Loan for the same items requested in the past 12 months
  • you have received an award of community care support from the Emergency Support Scheme within the past 12 months
  • you are seeking support for an excluded item
  • you are an excluded person, such as a person in a hospital, care home or prison (unless you are about to be discharged in the next two weeks)
  • you are eligible for a short-term benefits advance or hardship payment from the DWP
  • you have received a Care Leavers Grant or Section 17 grant within the last 12 months
  • you are subject to immigration control and are not claiming a qualifying benefit. People subject to immigration control can only claim crisis support in a disaster situation

Related links