Financial support following a flood (England)

Who should I contact for financial support following a flood?

The government, local authorities, and charities provide support for those affected by flooding in England. This support may depend on the severity of the flooding. Anyone looking for support following flooding of their home or business should contact their local authority in the first instance.

What support is available following severe flooding?

The Flood Recovery Framework outlines government funding which may be made available to households and businesses following severe flooding.

The framework can be used in response to specific flood events. It is normally used when a flood is a “severe weather event with significant wide area impacts”, for example when it covers multiple local areas.

Recently, the framework has been used after severe flooding from Storm Babet (October 2023) and Storm Henk (January 2024).

The government decides when support is made available, and for which areas.  Local authorities can add further eligibility criteria and are responsible for giving the funding to individuals and businesses.

Accessing support

Individuals should contact their lead local flood authority for information on how to access support. This is usually the local council.

What support is available for households?

Under the Flood Recovery Framework, households could receive:

Community Recovery Grant

• Flooded households can apply for up to £500 cash as a grant to help with immediate costs. The local authority will usually pay this directly to eligible households.

Council tax reductions

• Households that are “significantly affected” may be eligible for council tax reductions of 100% for at least three months. This is in addition to the Community Recovery Grant payment. Granting tax relief is at the discretion of local authorities.

What support is available for businesses?

Under the Flood Recovery Framework, businesses could receive:

Business Recovery Grant

• Small and medium sized businesses may be eligible for a grant of up to £2,500 to help with immediate recovery. The local authority will usually pay this directly to businesses.

Business rate reductions

• Businesses that are “significantly affected” may be eligible for business rates relief of 100% for at least three months. This is in addition to the Business Recovery Grant. Granting business rates relief is at the discretion of local authorities.

What support is available for farmers?

Farmers who have suffered uninsurable damage to their land from exceptional flooding could receive grants through the Farming Recovery Fund.

Farming Recovery Grant

• Farmers may be able to apply for up to £25,000 through the Farming Recovery Fund towards repair and ‘reinstatement’ costs.

This support does not fall under the main Flood Recovery Framework but can operate as an add on. This scheme has not been active for the past few years, however the government announced that it would reopen in response to Storm Henk in January 2024.

What support is available when flooding is less severe?

Government guidance states that where areas have “minimal numbers of flooded or affected households, the local authorities concerned will usually be expected to manage community recovery independently”.

Local authorities may choose to make support available, which could include support for specific sectors, funding towards repairs, and match funding against charitable donations.

What support is available to prevent future flooding happening again, or to insure property?

In addition to funding made available in the short-term following a flood, support may also be available to help protect households and businesses from future severe weather and flooding in the long-term.

What support is available to help protect property?

Property Flood Resilience (PFR) is the design of homes and properties to be more resilient to flooding, lowering flood risk. For example, resilience can be increased through design choices and modifications such as moving vulnerable features like plug sockets above floor level.

• Households may be able to apply for up to £5000 to make their properties more resilient from lead local authorities under the Property Flood Resilience Repair Grant.

PFR does not fall under the main Flood Recovery Framework, however a grant for PFR can operate as an add on. This add on can be activated following severe weather events that impact multiple local authorities (and over twenty-five properties).

This scheme was initially a trial, however the government announced that it would reopen in response to Storm Henk in January 2024.

What support is available to help reinsure properties?

The government also supports those experiencing repeat flooding through partnering with the insurance industry to offer the Flood RE reinsurance scheme.

• Household insurers may be able to provide more affordable insurance through signing up to the Flood RE scheme.

Flood RE is a joint initiative between the government and the insurance industry that aims to ensure that households in flood risk areas can get affordable insurance, even if they have been flooded before.

More information is available in the Library briefing Flood RE and household flood insurance (July 2023).

What other support is available?

Wider sources of support include:

• The government’s flood risk tool, and flood warnings from the Environment Agency, to monitor ongoing risks of flooding.
• The National Flood Forum, which is a charity for communities at risk of flooding and runs a flooding advice hotline contactable on 01299 403055.
• The local Citizens Advice Bureau, which may be able to advise on legal rights and responsibilities.
• Shelter, a national charity which may be able to provide advice and help with housing if an individual’s home is flooded.

Legal support

Flooding is a complex legal area.

Households, businesses and farmers may wish to seek professional legal advice about their options and specific situation, and may find the Library briefing on legal help: where to go and how to pay helpful (September 2021).

About the author: Nuala Burnett is a researcher at the House of Commons Library specialising in climate change and water.

Disclaimer

The Commons Library does not intend the information in our research publications and briefings to address the specific circumstances of any particular individual. We have published it to support the work of MPs. You should not rely upon it as legal or professional advice, or as a substitute for it. We do not accept any liability whatsoever for any errors, omissions or misstatements contained herein. You should consult a suitably qualified professional if you require specific advice or information. Read our briefing ‘Legal help: where to go and how to pay’ for further information about sources of legal advice and help. This information is provided subject to the conditions of the Open Parliament Licence.