By Richard Johnstone | 2 January 2014
The government has written to councils to confirm the Bellwin compensation scheme to support areas hit by flooding has been activated, and ministers also called for assurances that town halls are prepared for further downpours.
Following the decision by local government minister Brandon Lewis to activate the compensation scheme before Christmas, communities minister Kris Hopkins wrote to every authority in England on December 29 to reiterate emergency financial assistance would be provided.
‘Councils have a vital role, along with emergency services in responding to households and businesses which have been disrupted by the floods that have affected parts of the country,’ Hopkins said.
‘We want to ensure all possible action is taken to help affected households get the support they need. This includes councils having local emergency plans in place and being ready to provide an immediate response to anyone affected by adverse weather or any other emergencies during the upcoming holiday period.
‘We have written to councils to see what practical support they need and the government is continuing to monitor the situation carefully.’
Councils, police, fire and national park authorities are eligible to claim some of the clean-up costs following recent storms from the government under the Bellwin provisions.
The scheme is designed to provide support to authorities if they have spent more than 0.2% of their calculated annual revenue budget on exceptional costs.
However, Hopkins said the government would also reimburse any additional costs below this threshold.
