Hilary Benn MP, Labour’s Shadow Communities and Local Government Secretary, responding to the Government publishing further details on Council Tax relief for those flooded, said:

“Yesterday, after we urged him to make sure flooded out householders would not be hit by council tax bills, the Prime Minister said that householders won’t have to pay the council tax while they’re out of their homes and that central government would be fully funding this for local councils.

“Now it turns out that he’s only going to give those councils enough money to pay for a council tax exemption of about three months, even though ministers have just been told by insurers that it could take an average of six to nine months for flooded homes to be repaired, and in some cases even longer.

“So what’s going to happen to these families’ council tax bills once the three months of funding on offer has run out? This is a complete shambles.

“The Prime Minister made a promise yesterday. Now he must keep it by saying that he will fully fund an exemption from council tax for as long as it takes for the families affected.”