If you need extra help to get essentials you can't live without, our Local Discretionary Social Fund could help
We’re temporarily closing the Local Discretionary Social Fund to new applications to allow us to redesign our support to meet new government requirements under the new Crisis and Resilience Fund.
We're closing for new applications between Tuesday 10 March and Monday 6 April 2026. We are continuing to process all applications received before Tuesday 10 March.
If you want an update on an application that has already been submitted, send an email to ldsf@brighton-hove.gov.uk
If you need crisis support in the meantime, you can find information on help with food, meals and shopping and help with energy bills on our cost of living support webpages.
The Local Discretionary Social Fund can provide help with:
The fund doesn't provide cash, we'll give you vouchers instead, or find another way to help you access emergency food.
Due to high levels of demand, we may not be able to help every household who applies. We may also need to contact you to provide further evidence to support your application.
Our phone lines our now closed until 6 April 2026.
For more information or to ask a question about your application, you can contact our Discretionary Help and Advice team by sending an email to LDSF@brighton-hove.gov.uk