Following Storm Desmond and Storm Eva in December 2015, the UK government has made available funding for properties flooded during the storms over 3-11 December 2015 and 24-28 December 2015. The grant of up to £5,000 (incl. VAT) can be used to improve the property’s resilience or resistance to flooding.
The Property Level Flood Resilience Grant Scheme is available to residential properties, owners of second homes, where habitable internal areas of the property have been damaged. The grant is also available to businesses, including charities, where internal areas of premises which are critical to day-to-day operation have been damaged.
Resilience vs. Resistance
Resilience measures can be implemented while a property is being reinstated after flooding. They include tiled concrete flooring, water-resistant plaster, wall-mounted boiler and meters, raised electrical sockets and closed-cell insulation in cavity walls. Measures to improve your property’s resilience to flooding will reduce the impact of future flooding and help you recover more quickly after a flood.
Resistance measures help to keep floodwater out of your property and limit the damage done by floodwater. They include:
How to Claim the Flood Grant
Get in touch with your local authority to find out whether you are eligible and how to apply for the flood grant. You may be advised to get a flood protection survey and quotes for any flood resilience or protection measures you intend to have carried out with the grant. It is also recommended that you wait to carry out any work until after your application has been submitted and approved, in case any cost is found to be ineligible for the grant.
Extended Deadline
The deadline for applying for the flood resilience grant has recently been extended, according to regional news website Cumbria Crack. The deadline was previously set for the end of 2016. With the extension in place, applications for the grant can now been made until 31 March 2017, with any work to be completed and invoiced by 30 June 2017.
Scottish Government Flood Grant
In Scotland, a similar grant of £1,500 is available for anyone affected by flooding since July 2015, e.g. during Storm Desmond or Storm Frank, while an additional £3,000 can be claimed by businesses who have had their ability to trade impacted by flooding. The grant can be used toward costs for reinstating and/or flood-proofing properties. More information on how to access the Scottish government grant is available here.
Helpful Links
- Find your local council from the UK government
- Property Level Flood Resilience Grant Scheme from Eden District Council
- Cumbria floods – grants and funding from Cumbria County Council
- Deadline extended to apply for £5,000 Property Flood Resilience Grants from Cumbria Crack
- Accessing flood grants from the Scottish government
Image edited from original source: Jim Barton [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons