Applications for this scheme can be made until 1 August 2024.
Apply for a property flood resilience grant
About the grant
If you were affected by flooding which occurred between 19 and 25 October 2023 you can apply for help from the property flood resilience (PFR) repair support scheme.
The scheme will allow the owners of flood-hit homes and businesses to apply for up to £5,000 (including VAT) to help pay for measures to help protect their property from flooding in the future. This will make the property less likely to flood internally or reduce the impact if flooding does occur.
The grant is to fund the additional cost, over the costs of a standard property repair, using materials which are more resistant and resilient to damage from flooding or rearranging the layout of the property, for example, changing the positions of electrical sockets.
There is no cost to complete the application.
Eligibility and evidence
Your property must have been internally damaged by flooding between 19 and 25 October 2023 to be eligible.
If your property wasn't flooded during that period your property is not eligible for the grant according to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
We are administering the grants locally on behalf of DEFRA which is providing the funding.
Only the property owner can apply for the grant. If you are not the property owner, you will need to get signed permission from the property owner to manage the works on their behalf. To do this, please use the tenant and owner letter that is attached to this page.
The grant is only available to people where:
- the habitable living or business areas of their properties have been damaged by floodwater entering the property
- drying out and / or repairs to the fabric of the building have been necessary. Please still apply for the grant if your property has not yet dried out
The owners of the following premises are eligible for the scheme:
- residential properties where habitable internal areas of the building have been damaged by flooding
- business (including social enterprise) and charitable organisation properties where internal areas of the premises which are critical to the daily operations (not storage sheds or warehouses) have been damaged
The following buildings are not eligible for the scheme:
- garages
- outhouses and storage areas
- second homes
- empty homes
- basements or cellars not used as part of the habitable or business area of a property
As part of your application you'll be asked to provide evidence that your property was flooded. This can include:
- pictures of flood damage
- pictures / videos showing water in home
- surveys
- insurance claim details
Build Back Better Insurance Claim
Flood Re is a joint initiative between the government and insurers to make flood insurance more accessible. Since 2022 Flood Re has been running the Build Back Better Scheme. The scheme offers households who hold home insurance policies with participating insurance companies up to £10,000 towards installing property flood protection measures against future flooding on top of a property reinstatement insurance claim after flood damage.
The Build Back Better scheme can be claimed in conjunction with the Property Flood Resilience Scheme.
To check if your insurer offers the Build Back Better scheme and get further information on this, please visit the Flood Re website.
Property flood resilience examples and case studies
Property owners need to consider the nature of the flood risk and the whole property. Just fitting a ‘flood door’ will not stop water entering through the walls or the floor.
A flood resilience survey will tell you what resilience and / or resistance measures are appropriate for your property. Eligible properties can use up to £500 (including VAT) of their grant to help cover the cost of a pre-installation survey and post completion inspection of the completed work by a suitably qualified independent surveyor.
We’ll organise a survey of your property with a suitable surveyor, or you can commission your own survey if you prefer. If you've already had a survey completed, we'll ask for a copy of the survey and any quotes you have received for the property flood resilience work.
Resilience measures will reduce the impact of flooding if it does occur, decreasing the damage caused by the flood water and helping you to recover more quickly. Examples of resilience measures include:
- water-resistant plaster
- replacement of suspended timber floors with solid concrete
- tiling floors rather than carpeting
- raising the electrics
Resistance measures reduce the likelihood that the properties will flood internally. Examples of measures which will increase a property's resistance to flooding are:
- airbrick covers / self-closing airbricks
- flood doors and barriers
- pumps to remove water before it enters your property
In the property flood resilience case studies document that is attached to this page, you can see some examples of measures installed in homes and businesses to protect against flooding.
You can also find useful information on flood resilience and resistance measures on the National Flood Forum website and the Flood Guidance website.
After you've applied
After you have submitted your application to us, you will receive an email to confirm your application has been received and explain how to submit any supporting evidence.
If your property hasn't been surveyed by a qualified surveyor or had any property flood resilience measures installed prior to applying, the following information applies to you:
- we'll aim to provide a response within 3 weeks, however we are currently receiving a large number of applications, so please bear with us if it takes a little longer
- if your application is approved, you'll be notified and asked to complete and sign an agreement and return it to us (contact details will be made available)
- we'll appoint a surveyor to carry out a survey of the flood damage in your property, or alternatively you can appoint your own suitably qualified independent surveyor (RICS qualified)
- you'll receive a report on the potential flood resilience measures for your property
- you should then arrange a contractor to install the agreed measures. We can provide a list of approved installers upon request
- we'll inspect the work once it's complete to ensure work has been done to an acceptable standard
- if the work is satisfactory, payment will be made to the applicant or alternatively directly to the contractor, upon request
If you (or your insurance company) have arranged for a property flood resilience survey or work to be carried out at your property by a suitably qualified contractor (a member of RICS) then the following applies to you:
- we'll aim to provide a response within 3 weeks, however we are currently receiving a large number of applications, so please bear with us if it takes a little longer
- if your application is approved, you will be notified and asked to complete and sign an agreement and return it to us (contact details will be made available)
- if works have not yet been completed, you can appoint a suitably qualified contractor at this point on the basis of quotes received and approved in the application. Work can then be completed
- following completion of the work, you'll need to contact us to arrange for an inspection to be carried out by a surveyor to ensure the work has been done to an acceptable standard
- send the inspection report and invoice for the work carried out to us for reviewing. We may carry out spot checks on the work
If the work is satisfactory, payment can be made directly to the applicant or alternatively the contractor / insurance company.
Contact
For more information, or if you have any questions around the property flood resilience repair grant, please contact the flood risk management Team, email: derbyshire.floods@derbyshire.gov.uk