York residents and businesses who suffered flood damage over the holidays will be eligible to receive up to £5,000 as part of a “resilience grant” to help upgrade their property for future flood events as part of a package of support to be made available by the Government.
In addition to this Government grant, the council is continuing to provide a range of financial support citywide to residents and businesses affected by the flooding. The York Financial Assistance Scheme (YFAS) supports both residents and businesses, and information is available at the website: www.york.gov.uk/yfas, email: [email protected] or tel: 0808 1685238.
Flood victims in financial difficulty may also be eligible for help from York’s Disaster Fund, a registered charity set up after the flooding in York in 2000. For more information about how to apply email: [email protected]or tel: 0808 1685238.
Businesses affected by floods are currently being visited by council representatives and will have access to up to £2,500 through the Flood Recovery Fund for businesses. Businesses can email [email protected] or tel: 01904 554455 to make a claim.
Businesses that have been flooded can apply for an exemption to their business rates (a formal application must be made) by contacting the business team by email: [email protected] or tel: 01904 554455.
Finally the Government has agreed to match-fund York flood-related donations made to registered charities, such as the York Flood appeal and information about how to donate to the appeal is available at www.trcf.org.uk .
Council Leader Chris Steward said “We hope these funds will help people whose properties have been flooded to begin to get back on their feet, although we are very aware that the road back from flooding is long and costly. People will still need to liaise directly with their insurance providers and to make sure that they employ only reputable traders to undertake work on their property. We would encourage any one with questions about these or any other flood-related issues to contact the council.”