BUDGET CHECKER
Turn budget assessments into real support.
Help customers complete income and expenditure, or ability-to-pay assessments quickly, access personalised support, and take positive steps towards financial stability - all in one simple journey.
Built for utility providers, local authorities, housing associations and other support organisations.
Why it works
Traditional affordability journeys are slow, repetitive, and disconnected from actual support.
The Budget Checker is one, positive journey that makes it easier for people to engage by combining affordability checks with access to real financial help.
Engagement, not enforcement
Traditional I&Es see high drop-off; we drive completion through positive support.
Assessment to action
Most tools stop at affordability; we connect users directly to 2,500+ support schemes.
From 1 April 2026, councils in England must deliver the Crisis and Resilience Fund to residents facing urgent financial hardship.
Repeat crisis grants are no longer enough. Each interaction needs to support that household to move towards long term resilience.
Lightning Reach gives councils all they need to collect applications, assess eligibility, and deliver support and warm referrals faster, all through one simple platform.
Trusted by councils delivering financial support
Lightning Reach is used by councils across the UK to deliver financial support at scale.
“Lightning Reach has won over residents who previously did not engage because they didn’t think they were eligible for support. There’s a real sense that it truly is for anybody.”
Julie Egan, Financial Inclusion Manager,
Sunderland City Council
of residents self-serve to support
93%
additional funding awarded
£25m
people supported
300k
A ready made platform for
Crisis and Resilience Fund delivery
The Crisis and Resilience Fund is new, but delivery does not have to be. Lightning Reach is a ready to use digital front door for financial support. Residents complete one simple application, and the platform helps councils:
Assess applications & evidence
Review applications and evidence quickly through one system. Reduce admin via digital evidence collection and inbuilt ID and financial checks via Open Banking (average uptake 80%).
Deliver payments
Avoid complex processes by using our inbuilt payment system. Vouchers and cash-out options allow users to quickly and securely access funds, whilst finance teams benefit from slick payment scheduling and reports.
Connect residents to extra support
After completing their council application, residents are matched to personalised support from over 2,500 schemes. 78% of residents go on to access other support, further increasing the impact of every award granted by your council.
One-click warm referrals
Your team can easily make GDPR-compliant, one-click referrals to resilience support from a network of commissioned partners. View residents' support journey across partners to see the end-to-end impact.
“It’s nice to work with an organisation that has that 'can do' approach, and for things to happen quickly. Knowing that you can come into a conversation with Lightning Reach and focus on solving the problem makes a real difference.”
Clare Harding, Assistant Director of Transformation
Lambeth Council
Real-time impact tracking
Track demand, decisions, and outcomes through your personalised reporting suite. Lightning Reach gives councils real time insight into how support is being delivered and who it is reaching.
Real-time insights into:
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Application volumes
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Eligibility decisions
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Awards issued
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Additional support accessed
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Resident demographics
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Emerging demand trends