Derbyshire County Council launches hardship fund for residents and employers hit by floods

Within the last month, intense storms have caused flooding to properties in Matlock, Cromford, Ripley, Killamarsh, Dronfield, parts of Chesterfield and in Swadlincote.

To help those affected, the council is offering one-off grants of £150 for households and £500 for businesses employing up to 50 people, with up to £20,000 available in total to help cover the loss of any immediate, short-term loss of income and cashflow difficulties and to help pay for repairs and replacement of items until insurance claims are settled.

Council leader Barry Lewis said: “The torrential downpours in early July caused unavoidable flash flooding in Matlock and other communities across Derbyshire as drains were overwhelmed with the huge quantity of rainwater.

“Since that weekend, I’ve seen the impact of the surface water flooding and spoken to a number of residents and businesses in the areas affected.”

He added: “We stand shoulder to shoulder with local communities and our financial grant scheme will help people deal with the aftermath of the flood damage and clean up, supporting their business or their home.

“The flood grant application process is straightforward and I’d urge people to apply for the help on offer. If we experience any further flooding over the coming months, we intend to reopen the scheme to provide additional, emergency support to local communities.”

To make a claim, businesses will need to provide photographs showing spoilt items of stock, internal building damage and receipts for replacement products.

Households will be asked to provide details about how the flood has affected them including loss of earnings, water damage to food, costs to replace essential items and increased electricity costs to help dry out their home using a dehumidifier.

Payments to households will be made as quickly as possible using the council’s existing Discretionary Fund with cash provided at the Post Office. Payments to businesses will be made by BACS bank transfer.

Further details of how to to apply for the emergency grants are available at www.derbyshire.gov.uk/floodinghardshipfund. The fund will close on Friday, August 4.

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