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Crisis Mode: food, warmth, housing and urgent support first

A triage plan for the next few hours when there is no food, warmth, power or safe place to stay.

Last reviewed: 6 July 2026 · UK guidance

In brief

In a household crisis, deal with immediate safety and tonight’s necessities before completing long forms or negotiating non-priority debts. Decide what is missing now: safe shelter, food, medication, heat, electricity, water or protection from harm.

Use Urgent Support or the relevant emergency service for immediate danger. Then contact the council, supplier, landlord or local welfare route with a short factual description. Keep enough phone battery and do not spend the last available money on an unsecured creditor while essentials are unavailable.

Make the situation safe first

Call 999 or 112 if someone is in immediate danger. For gas smells, carbon-monoxide concerns, fire, flooding or electrical hazards, leave the unsafe area and use the appropriate emergency service. A payment problem is different from a network outage, so tell the energy provider exactly what has happened.

Solve tonight, not the whole year

Ask for emergency food, fuel credit, temporary accommodation, medication access or safeguarding help according to the immediate need. Say who is in the household, whether there are children, disability, medical equipment or no safe alternative.

Protect the next essential payment

Once tonight is stable, list rent or mortgage, Council Tax, energy, food, water, medication and essential travel. Contact each priority provider with a realistic amount and date. Pause subscriptions and non-priority payments rather than agreeing to impossible arrangements.

Create one recovery list

Record who helped, reference numbers, what lasts until when and the next deadline. The following day, use National Help for benefits, debt, housing or specialist support so emergency assistance becomes a bridge rather than the only plan.

An immediate-needs request

Keep it short when time and energy are low.

We have an urgent problem today: [no food, no safe accommodation, no heat/power or no medication]. The household includes [children, disabled person, medical need or other vulnerability]. We have [what is available] until [time]. Please tell me the immediate emergency route, what evidence is needed now, and who will deal with the longer-term problem after tonight.

A practical checklist

  • Separate immediate danger from financial difficulty.
  • Ask for the specific essential missing today.
  • Keep references and expiry dates for emergency help.
  • Return to longer-term housing, income and debt support once safe.

Check the current information

These are the most relevant official or specialist places to confirm live rules, availability and application details.

Crisis and Resilience Fund guidance — GOV.UK

gov.uk

Open official information
Find your local council — GOV.UK

gov.uk

Open official information
Help with energy bills — GOV.UK

gov.uk

Open official information
Help with bills and energy debt — Ofgem

ofgem.gov.uk

Open official information

Priority bills: what to pay first when there is not enough money

How to prioritise bills by legal and household consequence when income cannot cover everything—and what to say to the creditors who must wait.

Read this guide

Rent arrears: first steps before panic takes over

The first actions when rent is late or unaffordable, from checking the balance to responding to a possession notice.

Read this guide

Debt help without judgement: where to start

A calm first route into debt advice that protects housing, energy and food and does not require you to justify how the situation happened.

Read this guide

Choose one next action

You do not need to finish everything today. Find a relevant organisation through National Help, or save the action you want to return to in your Support Plan.

Use National HelpOpen my Support Plan

A few closely related starting points, chosen from the same support library.

Priority bills: what to pay first when there is not enough moneyHow to prioritise bills by legal and household consequence when income cannot cover everything—and what to say to the creditors who must wait.Rent arrears: first steps before panic takes overThe first actions when rent is late or unaffordable, from checking the balance to responding to a possession notice.Debt help without judgement: where to startA calm first route into debt advice that protects housing, energy and food and does not require you to justify how the situation happened.

Use this with a HiddenHelp tool

Turn the information into one manageable next step.

Open Support FinderUse a Self Help sheetBrowse life situations

HiddenHelp explains options and helps you organise a next step. It does not decide eligibility, make awards, or replace regulated legal, medical or financial advice.