Flood Recovery Support for Households and Businesses

Please note, Storm Henk funding is now closed to applications.

The Government announced payments for communities affected by flooding because of Storm Henk. The support is being made available through a scheme called the Flood Recovery Framework.

If your property suffered flood damage between 2 and 12 January 2024 you may be eligible for support. Below is information on the Government funding support that is being administered by the local authority. The assistance includes:

• Community Recovery Grant - £500 for immediate recovery costs.
• Council Tax Discount – 100% Council Tax relief for at least three months.
• Business Recovery Grant - £2,500 to help return to business as usual.
• Business Rates Relief – 100% relief for at least three months.

Households

For flooded households meeting the criteria, a Community Recovery Grant of £500 is available to help with immediate recovery costs.  

If your living accommodation has been flooded, or your home has been left uninhabitable for at least 48 hours because of flooding from Storm Henk, you could be eligible for a Community Recovery Grant and/or 100% discount on Council Tax for a minimum of three months. 

Community Recovery Grant

• The grant is £500 and paid direct to the household
• Households are eligible where the living accommodation has been flooded or the home has been left uninhabitable for at least 48 hours due to flooding, such as when utilities have been cut off
• The grant does not apply to empty homes, student accommodation or second homes
• If you are the bill payer for council tax purposes on a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO), flat, you are eligible to claim the Community Recovery Grant.

Council Tax Discount Scheme

If flood water entered the habitable areas of your home or flood water did not enter into the habitable areas, but the residence was otherwise considered unliveable as a result of the recent floods for at least 48 hours, you will receive a 100% discount on your Council Tax for a minimum of three months – this means you do not have to pay Council Tax during this period.

After three months, if you moved out and have not been able to return home, you may not have to pay Council Tax until you move back. If you are not able to move back into your home after three months, please tell us so that this discount may be extended. You may also be able to claim a discount on any Council Tax that you are paying on a second or rented property that you are living in temporarily as a result of not being able to live in your main home.

Instances where households might be considered unliveable could include:

• Where access to the property is severely restricted
• Services such as sewerage, waste and power supplies are severely affected
• The adverse weather has resulted in other significant damage to the property, such that it would be, or would have been, advisable for residents to vacate, regardless of whether they do vacate or not
• Flooded gardens and garages will not usually render a household eligible but there may be exceptions where it could be demonstrated that such instances mean effectively that the property is unliveable.

Second homes, and empty homes are not eligible. 

What we need from you

We will ask you to provide details about you, your affected property (including photographs), bank account details and your Council Tax reference number, so that we can consider your claim and make payment to you if you are eligible.

If you are unable to complete the form online please call Customer Services on 01530 454545.

Deadline for applications is 21 March 2024.

Business Rates Relief and Business Recovery Grant

Businesses significantly impacted by flooding due to Storm Henk, and unable to open their business because it was flooded, may qualify for 100% business rates relief for at least three months.

Small-to-medium sized businesses in affected areas could receive up to £2,500 from the Business Recovery Grant for flood damage to property, equipment, stock or trade loss because customers or suppliers could not reach them.

Eligible Businesses

To be eligible the business must:

• Be a small-to-medium sized business:
  • Have fewer than 250 employees; and
  • Have a turnover of less than 50m euros or a balance sheet total less than 43m euros
• Be directly impacted by the relevant weather event – for instance flood damage to the property, equipment, and/or stock; or the business could not function due to a lack of access to premises, equipment and/or stock as a result of the recent weather events, and the flooding seriously impacted the business's ability to trade from the property.
• This is subject to the UK subsidy control regime, and is only available to properties with a rateable value of less than £10 million.
• Empty properties, storage sheds and warehouses are not eligible, unless the business was actively trading from them at the time of the flooding.
• Have appropriate flood insurance cover in place or have actively made attempts to insure the business premises against flood damage on at least one occasion since 1 January 2023.
• Direct impact from Storm Babet: If a business experienced direct impact, such as flood damage to the property, and received a grant under Storm Babet and reinstated the premises, it is eligible to apply for funding related to Storm Henk. However, eligibility for Storm Henk funding is contingent upon the premises being directly impacted, specifically with flood damage to the property.
• Indirect Impact from Storm Babet: For businesses that were indirectly affected by Storm Babet and received a grant, they are eligible to apply for Storm Henk funding only if they have subsequently experienced direct impact with flood damage to the property.

What we need from you

To complete the application form we will require a copy of your insurance certificate, along with all other evidence, such as photographs, or evidence that you have actively made attempts to insure your business against flooding and obtain insurance cover since 1 January 2023. You will also need your business rates reference number and bank account details.

If you are unable to complete the form online please call Customer Services on 01530 454545.

Deadline for applications is 21 March 2024.

Other funding

In addition, the property owner may also be eligible for a Property Resilience Grant of up to £5,000 to help properties become more resilient to future flooding, being administered by Leicestershire County Council. Further information will be provided by Leicestershire County Council when the scheme is launched.

Farming recovery fund

Farmers who have suffered uninsurable damage to their land will be able to apply for grants of up to £25,000 for repair and reinstatement costs due to exceptional flooding.