Advice for Victims of Flooding

Emergency Payment Scheme

• Inconvenience Fund/Northern Ireland Executive’s Compensation Package/Emergency Payment Scheme is available if your property has been damaged in the flood
• The payment is £1,000 – when verified  it is totally separate from insurance claims and will be regarded as hardship payments intended to help people get back on their feet and assist them in ensuring their homes are habitable
• Administered by local Councils through Environmental Health Departments
• Your local Council will send staff to assess your property and process any claim
• For details of your local Council visit the Local Government links page.

Household Insurance Claims

• Contact your insurer immediately
• Make a list of everything that is damaged, if possible take photographs
• Do not dispose of any damaged property before contacting your insurance company
• If you need help completing an insurance claim form contact your local CAB

Social Fund Payments

• You may be entitled to a Crisis Loan or Community Care Grant from the Social Security Agency
• Crisis loans are discretionary interest-free loans which can be made from the social fund. They are intended to help with expenses in an emergency or as a consequence of a disaster, for example, flooding
• You do not need to be in receipt of any social security benefits to apply for a Crisis Loan but to qualify you must have insufficient resources to meet the immediate short-term needs of yourself and/or your family
• A Community Care Grants is a discretionary payment which can be made from the social fund. They are intended to help families ease exceptional pressure. If a payment is made, it does not need to be repaid. 
• A Community Care Grant can only be awarded if you are in receipt of income support, pension credit or income-based jobseeker's allowance (JSA)

Damaged Property/Clean Up

• Contact your local Council – they may be able to advise on the collection of items and the disposal of damaged property

Other issues

• For any general information in relation to benefits, employment, housing or consumer issues please contact your local CAB – details are listed in the telephone directory and on our website.
• General information on a wide range of subjects is also available from Adviceguide at www.adviceguide.org.uk