Homeowners affected by the floods can now claim £10,000 free of charge to help rebuild their properties

Flooding is predicted to get worse due to climate change, but now households crammed with water can apply for a pot of government money to protect their homes

hit houses flooding can now each claim up to £10,000 in government money to make their properties more flood-proof.

A flooded home costs around £30,000 to fix and around 5.2 million UK homes and businesses are at risk of flooding.

The money is being provided because many homes will be flooded more than once and because climate change is expected to cause more frequent flooding.

The Build Back Better program is a liaison between government and insurer.

Starting this month if a homeowner has household insurance they can then claim the money from NFU Mutual, Aviva, Ageas, Lloyds Banking Group and LV= General Insurance if they are flooded.

Grants provided through Build Back Better are in addition to the cash funds homes receive when they file a claim for flood insurance.

The cash can be used to pay for things like raising outlets and household appliances off the ground.

Other flood protection options include installing self-closing air bricks and flood-resistant doors, and replacing floors with waterproof tiles and grout.

These changes can help reduce the damage caused by flooding and the cost of repairing it if it does happen.

More insurers are expected to join the scheme this year and next.

Flood damage is a major concern for insurance companies and they have an interest in reducing these costs.

Insurer NFU Mutual has been running its own program to help homeowners with flood resilience since 2017.

The scheme is the brainchild of Flood Re, a government-backed ‘insurer of insurers’ which oversees flood insurance in the UK.

Flood Re Chief Executive Andy Bord said: “Since 1998, the UK has seen six of its wettest years on record, with 5.2 million homes and businesses at risk of flooding.

“Rate will only deteriorate further without urgent, collective action – we have no time to waste. It is critical that we encourage and incentivize adaptation among homeowners.”

Flood Secretary Rebecca Pow said: “We need to make sure our homes are more resilient to extreme weather events. Making adaptation more affordable will help people across the country.”