Communities impacted by flooding will benefit from thousands of pounds of funding to help them recover from the impact of Storm Babet.

The communities secretary Michael Gove and environment secretary Thérèse Coffey have announced support will be available to areas in England that have experienced exceptional localised flooding.

Under the measures announced:

+ Flooded households in affected areas can apply for up to £500 to give cash quickly to help with immediate costs.

+ Households and businesses significantly affected by recent flooding will be eligible for 100% council tax and business rates relief for at least three months.

+ Small-to-medium sized businesses in affected areas will be eligible for up to £2,500 from the Business Recovery Grant to help them return quickly to business as usual.

+ Eligible flood-hit property owners will be able to apply for up to £5,000 to help make their homes and businesses more resilient to future flooding via the Property Flood Resilience Repair Grant Scheme.

The support will be made available through a scheme known as the Flood Recovery Framework, which is used in exceptional circumstances to support councils and communities following severe flooding.

Gove commented: “The support I am announcing today will give those impacted by these terrible floods a helping hand so they can get back on their feet and recover from Storm Babet.

“I will continue to work closely with our partners across government and councils to make sure we are doing all we can to support businesses and families who have had to face such challenging and upsetting circumstances.”

Coffey added: “My sympathies are with everyone who has experienced the devastating effects of flooding. I would like to thank our Environment Agency teams and first responders, with 62,000 properties already protected thanks to our flood defenses.

“Our Property Flood Resilience Repair Grant Scheme will soon be open to help residents better protect their property in the future, giving some peace of mind as they rebuild and repair.”

Support will be available through councils who will announce further details on eligibility and how to apply.