Witney News - Grants for July flood victims

Grants for July flood victims

West Oxfordshire District Council will be distributing a Government grant of £600,000 to help July flood-hit residents. The Council's Cabinet at its meeting on the 22 August agreed to allocate the grant, through direct payment, to affected households.

A fixed £250 payment will be made to householders who have had flood water inside their homes. This is the Government’s definition of flooding. The payment is based upon the amount of grant available and the number of potential applicants. In West Oxfordshire it is calculated that 1,655 households have been flooded.

Out of the £600,000 a sum of £186,000 has been retained for discretionary allocation to help those who have experienced particular hardship.

Cllr Simon Hoare, Cabinet Member for Resources said, "Many people in West Oxfordshire have suffered disruption and hardship as a result of the recent floods. As a Council we are committed to help flood victims quickly and simply. To that end the Cabinet has decided that a fixed sum of £250 be made available for every household that was affected. This is the simplest and fairest way to achieve our goal."

Anyone who has had floodwater inside their homes will need to complete an application form and these can be obtained as follow:

• from the Council's website, www.westoxon.gov.uk
• from council reception areas or Town Centre Shops
• by telephoning 01993 861000.

Forms are being distributed to community points in flood-affected areas, such as post offices, libraries, doctors’ surgeries and other prominent town and village locations. These will be available from Tuesday 28th August. Residents may also wish to contact their district councillors or Parish Council chair.

There is a section on the flood recovery form where an application can be made for additional money. Those who have suffered financial hardship are urged to apply for this help.