Discretionary Housing Payments become CRF Housing Payments in England

Discretionary Housing Payments in England have been included in the Crisis and Resilience Fund and become CRF Housing Payments from 1 April 2026¹. The payments are money councils can give towards housing costs that does not have to be paid back, and it is up to the council whether to make an award and how much it is².

Maternity Action, in guidance published in March 2026, states that from April 2026 Discretionary Housing Payments are to be incorporated into the new Crisis and Resilience fund as "Housing Payments", and that details of the new three year funded scheme should be made available on council websites⁵. The same guidance says benefit rates apply from April 2026 to April 2027⁵.

The payments sit alongside the housing costs element of Universal Credit and Housing Benefit, which cover rent where a household qualifies. The housing costs element is included in a Universal Credit award and is usually paid directly to the claimant, though it can be paid to the landlord in some circumstances, for example where rent payments have been missed². Universal Credit takes five weeks from claim to payment, sometimes longer, and the DWP should start paying the housing costs element within five weeks². New Housing Benefit claims can still be made by people who have reached State Pension age or who live in certain supported, sheltered or temporary housing².

The wider benefit rules for April 2026 include the end of the two child limit for monthly assessment periods beginning on or after 6 April 2026, and the end of legacy benefits for working-age people generally, including income-related ESA and Housing Benefit⁵. Child Benefit is paid at £27.05 for the eldest child and £17.90 for each subsequent child for April 2026 to April 2027⁵.

Why it matters for households

Households in England who get help with rent through Universal Credit or Housing Benefit and find the amount does not cover the rent are the group affected by the rename. The payment remains discretionary: the council decides whether to make one, how much, and whether it is temporary². Anyone dealing with a council about a shortfall will now see the scheme described as CRF Housing Payments rather than Discretionary Housing Payments. The sources do not set out the amounts available under the new fund, the eligibility rules, or how applications are made, and none of that has been reported. Maternity Action says details of the three year funded scheme should be made available on council websites⁵.

Separately, private tenants in England face changes under the Renters' Rights Act 2025 from 1 May 2026, including rent increases restricted to once a year². From 1 May 2026, where a private tenant's rent arrears are caused by delays in paying the housing costs element of Universal Credit, this will be ignored when deciding the rent arrears level⁴. Landlords must give tenants a government-produced information sheet before 31 May 2026, and must begin court possession proceedings by the earlier of 31 July 2026 or the expiry of the notice². Tenants given an assured shorthold tenancy can check whether it automatically changed to an assured periodic tenancy on 1 May 2026¹.

What happens next

The renamed payments apply in England from 1 April 2026¹. Maternity Action states that details of the new three year funded scheme should be made available on council websites⁵. The sources do not give a date for publication of those details.

For help with rent, see Help with rent: Housing Benefit, the Universal Credit housing element and Local Housing Allowance and Housing Benefit vs Universal Credit Housing Costs. For the payments themselves, see Discretionary Housing Payments from Your Council, and for the wider system, the benefits hub.