DfE Hardship Schemes - now open

You can apply to both the £5,000 Hardship Scheme and the £2,500 Hardship Scheme but you will only be eligible for payment from one of them.

The guidance notes below will help you to decide whether to make an application to the schemes.  

Please read the information for each scheme which will explain what supporting evidence you need to provide as part of your application.

This is an online application process.  It can be accessed below. You will be able to upload your evidence before submitting your application.

Once received by the closing date and time of 12 noon on Thursday 28 March 2024, applications will be assessed by our Environmental Health team.  

Inspections of premises will be carried out as deemed appropriate and we will advise you on the outcome of your application as soon as is reasonably practicable.  

If you are successful in your application, we will make the appropriate payment to you.   It is anticipated the hardship grants will be paid as quickly as possible following our successful validation of your application.

An appeals’ process will be in place if you do not agree with the council’s decision.  More details will be provided to you at a later date, if you wish to lodge an appeal.

The information below provides guidance to businesses on the application process for the Flood Damage Hardship Relief Schemes. These are financed by the Department for the Economy and administered by district councils. 

The purpose of the schemes is to provide further support to small and medium sized businesses (SME) as well as other non-domestic organisations that have suffered financial loss because of the severe flooding. 

It sets out the eligibility criteria for the schemes as well as the information and evidence required from businesses to demonstrate that they meet the eligibility criteria. 

Please read this information carefully before submitting an application.

Two schemes are available which applicants can choose to apply to depending on their specific trading/non-trading status and the nature of the hardship experienced by the applicant. The two schemes are outlined below.

Please note: 

The funding will be transferred to the councils by DfE under the provisions of Section 29 of the Local Government Finance Act (NI) 2011, which enables any NI Department to make payments ‘for such purposes and of such amounts and subject to such conditions as that department may determine’. 

DfE will perform sample checks on the information submitted to it by the councils. 

A hardship grant of £5,000

The £5,000 hardship grant is open to SME businesses and other non-domestic organisations whose premises were directly flooded and subsequently suffered financial hardship but were not eligible for the previous £7,500 Flood Damage Business Support Grant or the Enhanced Flood Support Scheme. Detailed eligibility criteria is provided below.

The Hardship Grant of £5,000 is applicable to non-domestic organisations such as churches, charities and non-trading sports organisations.

The applicant should ensure the following criteria is met before applying to the scheme: 

• the business must be a SME, i.e. employ less than 250 employees and an annual turnover of less than £50 million OR
• is a non-domestic organisation such as churches, charities and non-trading sports clubs. Note this list is not exhaustive. Should you be in any doubt about your eligibility, you should email us at ehealth@lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk or phone 028 9244 7397
• applicants who were not eligible for the £7,500 Flood Damage Business Support Scheme
• the business or non-domestic organisation must have been directly flooded and confirmation of flooding must be confirmed by the council
• only damage to buildings and contents will be deemed eligible. Damage to outdoor space e.g. football pitches will not be eligible.
• if the applicant is a SME they must have been ordinarily occupied and trading on the date of the flooding incident. Businesses or non-domestic organisations that were temporarily closed or had not opened but were due to open imminently will be eligible
• the applicant must have suffered financial hardship as a result of the flooding(applicants will be required to self-declare)
• if the applicant is a SME, the business is not insolvent
• the grant will not create a breach of EU’s State Aid Regulations or the UK’s Subsidy Control Act as per Section 6.1.
• applicants must be non-public sector. Offices of political parties are also excluded

The £2,500 hardship grant is open to SME businesses not directly flooded but which suffered financial hardship as a result of not being able to access their premises due to the flooding. Detailed eligibility criteria is provided below.

The applicant should ensure that the following criteria is met before applying to the scheme: 

• the business must be a SME, i.e. employ less than 250 employees and an annual turnover of less than £50 million
• access to businesses premises was prevented due to the flooding but premises were not directly flooded (e.g. trading from upper floors of flooded premises. Council to use local knowledge of premises in flooded areas to assess claims from those who were unable to access premises)
• applicants were not eligible for the £7.5k Flood Damage Business Support Scheme
• the applicant must have suffered financial hardship as a result of the flooding (applicants will be required to self-declare)
• if the applicant is a SME they must have been ordinarily occupied and trading on the date of the flooding incident. Businesses that were temporarily closed or had not opened but were due to open imminently will be eligible
• if the applicant is a SME, the business is not insolvent
• the grant will not create a breach of EU’s State Aid Regulations or the UK’s Subsidy Control Act as per the your responsibilities section below
• applicants must be non-public sector. Offices of political parties are also excluded

A business will not be eligible for a hardship grant if they do not intend to resume trading or re-open.

A non-domestic organisation applying for the £5,000 Hardship Grant will not be eligible if they do not intend to re-open.

Applicants can only avail of support from one of the three schemes announced. For example, a business may not avail of either of these hardship schemes if successful under the Enhanced Flood Support Scheme.

If you have reviewed the criteria and believe you may be eligible for either of the schemes, you should complete the appropriate application form. Whilst applicants can apply for more than one of the announced schemes they should be aware that they can only avail of support from one of the above schemes.

Applicants will need to submit evidence to demonstrate that the business meets the eligibility criteria for each Hardship Scheme. Applicants will also be required to submit appropriate evidence to support their application.

Supporting evidence to demonstrate eligibility for the £5,000 hardship payment

It will be the applicant’s responsibility to demonstrate eligibility for the scheme. The following supporting evidence must be provided to demonstrate eligibility.

This is not an exhaustive list. We will accept other evidence from businesses that we consider suitable to demonstrate eligibility.  

If the applicant is a SME, the business must have been ordinarily occupied and trading on the date of the flooding incident. Businesses that were temporarily closed or had not opened but were due to open imminently will be eligible. 

Supporting evidence must include at least two of the following:  

• a scanned copy of a bank statement dated within three months up to and including the flooding for an account used by the business that clearly shows name/ address. In the case of sole traders this can be a personal bank account which shows evidence of trading. The bank account must be the same account into which the grant will be paid.
• copy of rental agreement relating to the period that shows business name and address.
• copy of Employers Liability Cover (legal requirement for small businesses with staff) or public liability insurance.
• invoices/receipts/purchase orders relating to purchases for the period.
• copy of valid registration with local council if applicable, for example a food business.
• independent confirmation from a registered accountant that the business was trading during that period.
• if other information/evidence that demonstrates trading is provided by the applicant, this can be accepted by the council.
• Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR)

If applicant is a non-domestic organisation (but not a business) they must provide the following:

• proof of address
• proof organisation is in operation i.e. recent utility bill
• a Charity Registration number (if applicable)

Supporting evidence to demonstrate eligibility for the £2,500 hardship payment

It will be the applicant’s responsibility to demonstrate eligibility for the Scheme. The following supporting evidence must be provided to demonstrate eligibility.

This is not an exhaustive list. We will accept other evidence from businesses that we consider suitable to demonstrate eligibility.

Evidence that demonstrates the business was trading (or intended to open/reopen for trading imminently) at the time of the flooding. This should include at least two of the following:

• a scanned or copy of a bank statement dated within three months prior to and up to the date of the flooding for an account used by your business that clearly shows name/ address. In the case of sole traders this can be a personal bank account which shows evidence of trading.
• the bank account must be the same account to which the grant will be paid
• copy of rental agreement that covers the period of the flooding
• copy of Employers Liability Cover (legal requirement for small businesses with staff) or public liability insurance that covers the cover 
• the date of the flooding
• invoices/receipts/purchase orders for the period 
• copy of valid registration with local council (if applicable), for example a food business
• independent confirmation from a registered accountant that the business was trading during that period
• Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR)

If you require further information please email us at ehealth@lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk or phone 028 9244 7397.

You are responsible for providing accurate and true information on your application. Businesses should note that: Providing wrong or misleading information is an offence and any such information may be used against you in any subsequent criminal investigation. The information provided on the application form may be made available to other bodies for the purposes of preventing or detecting crime.

Where it is found that grant has been awarded on the basis of false information it will be necessary to seek repayment from the funded business. The funded business will be required to repay the grant in full and the case may be referred to the PSNI. 

This grant is a subsidy that falls either within the scope of the Minimal Financial Assistance (MFA) exemption of the UK Subsidy Control Act 2022 or, if your business is within the scope of the Windsor Framework, the EC’s de Minimis Regulation. The maximum amount of MFA an enterprise can receive in the 3 year applicable period for MFA is £315,000. The maximum amount of de minimis aid an undertaking can receive in any period of 3 years is €300,000.

This grant can only be paid as MFA or de minimis aid if there is sufficient MFA or de minimis headroom. If this grant would result in a breach of the applicable ceiling, the council will need to carry out further checks and registration processes to determine whether the grant complies with the UK Subsidy Control Act 2022 or the EU State aid rules. If there is any contravention of the UK Subsidy Control Act or the State Aid rules, irrespective of whether this was a deliberate or otherwise deception or error or as a result of any misleading statements given on the application, this grant will be recoverable in full and may be subject to legal action. 

Individual businesses will need to take their own financial advice about the taxable status of these grant payments. 

You will also be asked to provide a declaration confirming you will comply with the terms and conditions of the grant. 

This scheme is being delivered by the councils. The information you provide as part of your application will be used as a means to assess your eligibility and also to conduct any post scheme governance assessments. 

As this financial support is sourced from public funds the we will, in the interest of openness and transparency, proactively publish limited information on the scheme including:

• name of business
• amount of assistance

Both us and DfE will handle your data in compliance with applicable laws including the General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018. 

For further details on each organisation’s data handling practices please see their respective Privacy statements on the links below: 

Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council
DfE Privacy Notice

I received money from the £7,500 scheme, can I also apply to the Flooding Hardship Grant?

No, if you received the £7,500 grant and/or money from the Enhanced Flooding Support Scheme you are not eligible for the Flooding Hardship Grant. 

How can I check if my organization is eligible for the Flooding Hardship Grant?

You should be able to determine eligibility from the Guidance Notes.  If you are still uncertain as to your eligibility please email: ehealth@lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk 

I don’t have any photos or video evidence of the flooding damage in my premises, can I still submit an application for the grant?

If your premises were impacted by the flooding, causing financial hardship, please submit your application with whatever evidence you have available and this will be assessed by or Environmental Health officers. 

If my application for a hardship grant is refused, can I appeal this decision?

Yes, you will be able to appeal this decision.  For details of the appeals process please email: ehealth@lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk

Apply online