This information is split into:
For the public
Riot compensation
If your property was damaged or destroyed during the riots, you may be able to claim compensation. You may also be eligible for financial support from your local council. Find out more about riot compensation, help from your council, what’s being done to contain the violence and how to help the clean up.
If you’ve been made homeless
If you’ve been made homeless by the disturbances your local council can offer help and advice.
The government is reimbursing local authorities for up to £5,000 per household to meet temporary accommodation costs while arrangements are made. Contact your local council for further information.
To find your local council, follow this link to DirectGov
Making a claim for compensation
If you’ve suffered loss or damage to your home or its contents as a result of the riots, you may be able to claim compensation from your local police authority, even if you don’t have insurance.
What the law says
The law says you may be eligible for compensation as a result of damage, destruction or theft to houses, shops and other buildings or their content.
You aren’t eligible for compensation from your local police authority for:
- personal injury
- your vehicle being damaged or stolen during the riot (unless the vehicle was inside a building affected by riots)
- trading at your business being affected by the riots
- people whose property or premises were damaged by rioters, or whose stock was stolen or damaged, could be eligible to claim under the Riot (Damages) Act – even if they do not have insurance.
Last week the Prime Minister announced the deadline for applications under the Act would be extended from 14 to 42 days to allow more people to claim. Website support has been put in place to help guide people through the process of claiming compensation, as well as a dedicated helpline for people without insurance cover.
Those without insurance can contact call handlers who will be able to help guide applicants through the claims procedure.
Check your insurance policy
If you have insurance, check that your policy covers riot damage. If it does, contact your insurer directly to claim.
Making a claim from the local police authority
You have 42 days to make a claim for compensation. These 42 days are counted from the first day after the damage occurred.
For guidance on completing the claim form, contact the claims department by telephone on 0845 641 4925, or email riotclaimsnotification@cl-uk.com.
Download a riot damage compensation claim form from DirectGov here
Once you’ve completed the form, send it to:
PO Box 26948
Glasgow
Scotland
G2 9DP
Get help
If you’re a riot victim, the advice is as follows:
- If you have insurance, you should check your policy to see if it covers riot damage. If it does, you should contact your insurer directly
- If you do not have insurance or it does not cover riot damage, you might be eligible to claim compensation from you local police authority
- Claims under the Riot (Damages) Act are limited to damage to or loss of buildings or their contents. The Act does not cover vehicles, personal injury or loss of trade
Advice for businesses affected by the riots
There are several funding streams available for businesses affected by the riots. If you are a trader or business owner affected, you can use the government’s online resource for business, Business Link.
Tel: 0845 6000 787
Email: info@bllondon.co.uk
www.businesslink.gov.uk
There is also advice on what to do to speed up claims. If your business has been affected:
- Make sure you have contacted the Police, and that you make a note of your Crime Reference Number.
- Contact your insurance company – most commercial policies will cover businesses for damage to their premises, including interruption to their business as a result. Some policies also cover businesses that are not damaged but whose trade is affected by the aftermath. More information on how to make an insurance claim is available at ‘Insurance Claims’.
- If your insurance policy does not cover rioting, you may be entitled to compensation under the Riot Act.
- If you are not insured or not adequately insured, you may also be entitled to compensation under the Riot Act.
Emergency planning
Incidents of the nature London has experienced over recent weeks are extremely rare, but it is sensible to make sure that you are prepared for any kind of emergency situation. More information on how you can prepare for emergencies is available on the London Prepared website
For councils affected, there is now a press release up on the DCLG website giving details of how councils will be helped to rebuild their communities.
The package of support includes:
- A £10m Recovery Scheme to help with the immediate costs of clean up. This can also be used in support of council tax discounts or relief to home-owners dealing with home damage.
- A £20m High Street Support scheme, to be made available immediately, for streets and areas affected by rioting, to help finance measures which will enable businesses to begin trading again. It will help fund costs to local authorities of providing Business Rate Hardship Relief. CLG expects to make available up to £2 million for Croydon, Birmingham, Haringey and Greenwich; around £1 million for Wandsworth and Westminster; and smaller allocations for all other eligible authorities.
- Re-housing funding. The Government will meet councils’ immediate costs for helping people who have had to be re-homed. Councils can reclaim the funding back from DCLG.
On August 24, the Mayor also announced that he and a coalition of businesses were creating the ‘High Street Fund’, www.thehighstreetfund.co.uk a charitable fund designed to offer immediate cash support to smaller businesses that have suffered from the disturbances across England. Read more details about the setting up of this scheme and how you can apply. There is also a helpline the fund is running for businesses – 0800 093 5858.
More useful business continuity advice:
Longer term funding
The Mayor of London has set up a £50m Regeneration Fund to help make major long term improvements to the capital’s town centres and high streets that have been damaged. Read the press release on the GLA website
There is also the London Enterprise Fund is made up of £20m of government funding announced on August 17, and this will be invested specifically focus on the regeneration of Tottenham and Croydon. More about this on the GLA website
The Mayor and his team will work closely with local people, local businesses and the councils to identify the best ways to invest the Government’s money to maximise the regeneration impact in these two town centres. The funding is designed to provide swift improvements so allocation of money could include investment in transport infrastructure, buying up and rebuilding affected properties and funding business rate relief as well as supporting employment.
Both the Mayor and the Government’s regeneration funds are also separate from the Mayor’s existing £50 million Outer London Fund, which is designed to grow economic activity and drive employment in parts of London that are benefitting less directly from major infrastructure improvements like Crossrail and the 2012 Games.
