Home insurance firm welcomes flood tax relief

Home insurance customers who have been hit by floods could find they get council tax relief, it has been revealed.

Properties which are unoccupied and in need of major repairs after the flooding are exempt from council tax for a year, but local authorities can also give discretionary discounts of up to 100 per cent and minister John Healey is urging them to do so.

Commenting on the move, Alan Gairns, head of property for insurance expert RSA, said: It is pleasing to see that government has made funding available to help families with their council tax bills.

However, the home insurance industry has also played a large part in getting people back on their feet at a cost of around £3 billion, he added.

Last week, Martyn Foulds, senior claims manager at Halifax Home Insurance urged people to make sure they are aware of any fire-related dangers in their home.