If you’re someone who has been impacted by a flood, you may not know where to begin to get the help you need. This blog will point you in the right direction to get the information you need to take the right next steps.

Where to get help with flooding

The GOV.UK website is a good first stop, which has some practical advice, including staying safe and where you can potentially get financial support. For example, in Wales and some areas in England, you can apply for a £500 grant if you have been affected by flooding within your home, and in Wales, an extra £500 if you don’t have contents insurance. 

If you’re on a low income and need emergency help, there are a few different schemes you can apply to get a grant that won’t need to be paid back.

• In England you can apply for the Household Support Fund from your local council.
• In Scotland you can apply for the Scottish Welfare Fund
• In Wales there’s the Discretionary Assistance Fund
• In Northern Ireland you can claim Discretionary Support, however, some payments are loans rather than grants.

If you’re insured

Get in touch with your home or contents insurance provider as soon as you can – most will have emergency helplines that run through the night. They will be able to tell you what to do to ensure you get as much as possible back, make emergency payments, organise repairs and potentially set you up with temporary emergency accommodation.

If you have to arrange emergency repairs yourself, tell your insurer. Remember to take photos of all the work needing to be done and keep any receipts, as this will form part of your claim. The ABI (Association of British Insurers) also advises not to throw away damaged items, unless they are a danger to your health, as these may be able to be repaired or restored. But always speak to your insurer first.

Are you covered by your home insurance?

If you own your home own home, you are more than likely covered as flood cover is a standard feature of buildings insurance. All policies are different, so make sure to read yours so you know where you stand.  Typically, you’ll be covered for any floodwater that has entered your home from an external source.

That said, there can be exceptions – check your policy to see if there are any exclusions, such as if you live in a high-risk flood area. You may also find that some parts of the property are not covered by the policy, such as outbuildings and fences.

MoneySavingExpert.com has an extensive guide on what you should do if your home has been flooded.

What if you’re a renter?

If you’re a renter you’ll need to contact your landlord, as they will need to use their insurance to get the property safe enough for you to live in, and to get you into safe, temporary accommodation.

If they don’t have that insurance, or you don’t want to leave the property while it’s getting fixed – check your contract to see if there is anything in it which applies to the situation and might help you.

Speak to your landlord, and consider asking to not pay rent, or only pay reduced rent while staying within the property or needing to find your own alternative accommodation. Deciding to withhold or reduce rent without a formal agreement is very risky as you could be breaking your rental agreement. If you’re finding it difficult to come to an agreement, speak to Shelter or Citizen’s Advice who have expert knowledge on housing issues.

Are your personal items covered?

The buildings insurance will cover the building itself – the walls, floors, ceilings etc – but everything inside it, such as your furniture, carpet, wallpaper, clothes, tech is not covered unless you’ve bought contents insurance.

Check your policy to see how much it’s worth, and what you’ll be able to replace. If you have no contents insurance, you’ll be responsible for replacing what you lost on your own.

If you don’t have home contents or building insurance

According to the FCA’s research, 31% of households don’t have cover for their belongings, and 39% don’t have a buildings insurance policy – that means that a lot of people who have been impacted by flooding will have to cover the cost of repairs and the items they have lost on their own.

If you’ve been flooded and don’t have insurance, contact your local Citizen’s Advice. They will be able to help you apply for financial assistance. Check out their guide, as it highlights certain grants which you may be able to get. Make sure that you are getting all the benefits you are entitled to. MoneyHelper's benefits calculator takes 5 mins to complete and will help you see if there’s any extra money you can claim.

If you can’t stay in your home because of the damage, you will be at risk of homelessness and need to contact your local authority to get help. This can be a complicated process, so don’t be afraid to get help from experts from Citizen’s Advice or Shelter.

If your vital documents have been damaged

If you’ve been impacted by a flood, there’s a good chance that your vital documents, such as ID and insurance policies have been damaged, which will make getting help more complicated. If you know who your providers are, call and ask them to send in the post or email you duplicates and/or replacements as soon as possible.