Flood-hit residents urged to apply for Government funding

Flood-hit householders and businesses can now apply for Government cash to help them get back on their feet after Storm Henk.

Around 650 homes were flooded across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland earlier this month, with 70 roads closed and over 100 incidents attended by Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service.

People are encouraged to apply for the funding which includes up to £500 for flooded homes, reduced Council Tax and business rates and business recovery grants, and more information is now available on council websites.

Our area has faced the full force of Storm Henk and I’m pleased that communities are on the road to recovery.

Flooding is devastating and we’ve not seen this level of impact for many years, with communities cut off and businesses forced to stop trading.

This extra money is a welcome helping hand and I’d encourage homeowners and businesses affected to find out more and get their applications in.

Person:Tom Purnell, deputy chair of the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Local Resilience Forum

Since New Year, councils, emergency services, charities and other organisations worked round-the-clock to evacuate residents, find them temporary accommodation, set up rest centres, clear standing water, close flooded roads and much more, safeguarding lives and supporting residents to stay safe.

Local leaders called on the Government to release funding and last week, wrote to Flooding Minister, Robbie Moore MP, asking the Government to do more for those affected, including more help to businesses without flooding insurance.

The Government’s financial support is made up of:

• A £500 grant for households - where the living accommodation has been flooded or the home has been left uninhabitable, such as when utilities have been cut off
• Eligible households may also qualify for the Council Tax Discount scheme - entitling them to a 100 per cent discount for a minimum of three months

For affected businesses, the following schemes are available:

• Business Rates Relief Scheme -100 per cent relief on business rates for a minimum of three months. To qualify, flood water must have entered the property, or the flooding seriously impacted upon the business’s ability to trade from the property during Storm Henk
• Business Recovery Grant - A grant payment of £2,500 for those severely affected by Storm Henk, with criteria closely aligned with the Business Rate Relief Scheme

These are being managed by district and borough councils and application forms, eligibility criteria and extra information can be found on their websites, or by visiting www.leicestershire.gov.uk/flood-funding . Anyone unable to complete the form online should call their local district or borough council for support.

Leicester City Council will be contacting eligible property owners/occupiers directly to collect the information needed to allocate the grant.

Affected residents in Leicester can also attend community meetings from 2pm to 7pm at Rushey Mead Library on 31 January and at Belgrave Hall on 1 February.

Leicestershire County Council will also be running a property flood grant scheme – where eligible flood-hit property owners can apply for up to £5,000 to help make their homes and businesses more resilient to future flooding – and more information will be available soon.

Rutland has not received Government funding, due to eligibility criteria which includes a need to have more than 50 properties flooded as a direct result of Storm Henk. As a result, these schemes are not available for Rutland residents. Rutland County Council is developing its own locally funded discretionary scheme and will share details of how its residents can apply shortly.

Be flood aware