Fire, flood or other emergency

Fire, Flood or other emergency

Damage to your home by fire, flood, or other kind of physical damage can mean that it is uninhabitable, and you need somewhere to stay while it is made safe or repairs are carried out. 

Arranging somewhere to stay

If you have family or friends that are able and willing to let you stay temporarily, you may be more comfortable with them.  However, if you have nowhere to stay we can help to arrange temporary accommodation for you - contact us immediately.

We will ask you whether you have home and contents insurance. This is because your insurance should cover the cost of reasonable alternative housing - both during the emergency and while repairs are carried out.  You will need to contact your insurer to check your policy to see what it covers. 

If your insurance does not cover you for temporary accommodation, or you do not have any insurance, you will need to pay this yourself.  There will be help available for those who are already claiming housing benefits, and we can help you to arrange this.

Help with your immediate needs

If you had to leave your home quickly you may have left essential items behind, and it may not be safe to return to collect them.  We can help you to contact your doctor to arrange for short-term replacements for your prescription medicines or medical equipment that you left behind, and obtain clothing, extra bedding or toys from local charitable organisations to help you get through the next few days.

Be prepared

Flooding is a major risk in our district.  For advice about preparing for flooding, or what to do if flooding hits please visit our flooding advice pages. 

It also helps to think about what you would do in an emergency before it happens, so that everyone knows what to do.  You can find lots of advice on the government website, https://www.gov.uk/