The Minister for Security (Dan Jarvis)
On 14 July 2026, the Government published their annual update on the implementation of the resilience action plan, outlining significant steps made to bolster the UK’s resilience in the year following its publication. We also announced our intention to launch a campaign to raise awareness of the simple steps people can take to be ready for everyday emergencies.
The storms last winter and the wildfires this summer have shown how severe weather events can cause disruption to our everyday lives and impact the services we rely on, like phones, power, water and the internet. They have also shown the strength of our communities and the skill and bravery of our emergency services, and are a reminder that we can all play our part to keep ourselves, our loved ones, and our communities safe in times of emergency.
Since committing to launch a campaign, we have:
published updated research that shows just 13% of people in the UK feel they are prepared for an emergency that could cut them off from the services they rely on, and that 84% want the Government to do more to share information about the steps they can take to increase their preparedness;
met with international partners to gain insight about their efforts to improve household resilience; and
engaged with more than 500 organisations from across the country—ranging from emergency services, local authorities, businesses, voluntary community groups, charities, and advocacy organisations representing older people, disabled people, people with mental health needs, and people who rely on foodbanks—to help ensure that our advice is simple, relatable, reassuring and meets communities’ needs for a range of emergency scenarios.
I am therefore pleased to confirm that we have today published updated advice for households at gov.uk/beready, and that members of the public will begin to see more information about what they can do in a three-year campaign to “Be Ready”.
The updated advice calls on households to be prepared to be self-sufficient for three days in the case of an emergency, and it includes a checklist of simple steps people can take. This brings the UK into line with many of our European peers who also have the “three day” message at the heart of their campaign. There are two key actions:
sign up to the priority services register if they are eligible; and
have three days-worth of bottled water and non-perishable food stored at home.
Many simple steps on the website are completely free, and items on the checklist can be gathered or ticked off over time. For example, signing up to the priority services register is a straightforward process that costs nothing. Taking a few minutes to ensure eligible households are signed up ensures utility companies know who prioritise for additional support in an outage.
We also understand that not everyone will be able to take all the simple steps. This campaign is simply about providing basic advice on how to prepare, so people can take the steps that work for them. Our emergency services will be ready to respond when needed, and other charities, community organisations and services will be there too. When households take steps to look after themselves during an emergency, it reduces the strain on our emergency services. This ensures first responders can help those most in need first.
As part of the steady campaign roll-out, we will also publish a partner toolkit, with products and information that community groups and local businesses can use to share messages locally.
“Be Ready” has been developed by the UK Government, working closely with the Scottish Government, Welsh Government, and Northern Ireland Executive—as well as mayors and local councils—as we collectively seek to improve national resilience across all communities in the UK.
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