Government points Traveller site residents to Crisis and Resilience Fund for energy support
Exclusive: Gypsy and Traveller families on council‑run sites - many facing high electricity costs and unable to choose their supplier and who are not covered by the recent Government energy support schemes - have been told they can apply for help through the Government’s £1bn Crisis and Resilience Fund.
The Government has confirmed that Gypsy and Traveller households on council‑run sites - who are often locked into expensive non‑domestic energy contracts - can seek support through the £1 billion Crisis and Resilience Fund, administered by local councils.
While a government spokesperson did not directly address our questions about whether the upcoming VAT cut or Warm Home Discount will apply to these residents, they highlighted the Crisis and Resilience Fund as the route for immediate help.
Government directs Traveller site residents to Crisis and Resilience Fund for energy support
The Government has confirmed that Gypsy and Traveller households on council‑run sites - many of whom are locked into expensive non‑domestic energy contracts - can seek support through the £1 billion Crisis and Resilience Fund, administered by local councils.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) issued the guidance in response to Travellers Times enquiries about whether upcoming energy support schemes would apply to families whose electricity is supplied directly by local authorities.
The Government spokesperson did not directly answer questions about whether the planned VAT cut on energy bills or the Warm Home Discount will extend to residents on council‑supplied electricity but pointed instead to the Crisis and Resilience Fund as the route for immediate help. The fund is designed to support all low‑income households facing financial crisis - including those on non‑domestic energy contracts who have been excluded from previous energy support schemes.
The spokesperson said the fund “provides a safety net for people on low incomes who are in crisis and in need of immediate financial support,” and advised households to contact their local council to find out how to apply for a housing support grant. The scheme forms part of a wider £1 billion package announced in the Spending Review, including £842 million allocated for England.
Why this matters for Traveller families
Many Gypsy and Traveller households living on council‑run sites face some of the highest electricity costs in the UK. Because their supply is routed through the local authority rather than a domestic energy provider, residents cannot choose their own supplier, switch tariffs, or access standard consumer protections. In some cases, families are charged commercial rates, leaving them paying far more than a typical household for the same amount of electricity. The Travellers Times has previously reported on this as a “national scandal” and this has also been confirmed by research from the charity Friends, Families and Travellers, which shows that:
- 97% of council‑run sites have no access to mains gas
- 32% of councils hold the electricity contract and resell electricity to residents
- 82% of sites use prepayment meters
- Families can pay up to £589/month for gas bottles
This arrangement has also meant that Traveller site residents have repeatedly fallen through the gaps of energy support schemes. The Crisis and Resilience Fund is one of the few routes currently available that explicitly – according to the Government spokesperson - covers people on non‑domestic contracts, a category that includes thousands of families on local authority sites.
What support is available?
The Crisis and Resilience Fund is designed to help people who are:
- on low incomes
- facing immediate financial hardship
- unable to meet essential costs such as energy
- on non‑domestic energy contracts or otherwise excluded from mainstream support
Support is delivered through local councils, who assess applications and provide financial help based on need. This may include emergency payments to help with electricity costs, especially where bills have become unaffordable.
Families or advocates can contact their local council’s welfare support or crisis support team and ask specifically about the Crisis and Resilience Fund. Councils may also link the fund to Discretionary Housing Payments, depending on local arrangements.
Unanswered questions
Travellers’ Times asked DESNZ whether the upcoming VAT cut on energy bills or the Warm Home Discount would apply to households on council‑supplied electricity. These questions were not addressed directly in the Government’s response.
For now, families who are struggling with electricity costs are encouraged to contact their local council and ask about the Crisis and Resilience Fund.
Elsewhere in the UK, the Welsh Government has introduced a dedicated energy support fund for Gypsy and Traveller families on council‑run sites - acknowledging the high energy costs and fuel poverty faced by many residents and offering targeted help through local councils.
The Cabinet Minister for Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy in Wales, Adam Price, confirmed to GB News that: "The Welsh Government is providing £600,000 in 2026/27 to support Gypsies and Travellers living on sites with their energy costs."
Mike Doherty for Travellers Times
(Photo by Julian Hochgesang on Unsplash)