Government departments, local authorities and agencies are working together to do everything they can to help communities at risk.

Today (20 February), Prime Minister David Cameron announced details of flood support packages for homeowners and businesses. This support includes a new £10 million Business Support Scheme and Council Tax refunds for flood hit households.

Yesterday, the Prime Minister visited Pembrokeshire and Somerset to meet residents affected by the floods and local businesses.

Earlier in the week, ministers held a meeting with insurance industry leaders to discuss how the insurance industry is stepping up to help hard-working people affected by the floods.

David Cameron meets Environment Agency staff at Upton-upon-Severn

See photos from David Cameron’s visits to Devon, Dorset, Somerset, the Thames Valley, Lancashire and Worcestershire

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Support for communities, businesses and farmers

Over the last week David Cameron has announced a comprehensive package of new measures to help hard-working homes, businesses and farmers hit by the floods.

The measures include:

• a 5,000 “repair and renew” grant for all affected homeowners and businesses - this will top up any money received from insurers to ensure flood resilience is built into homes and businesses as they are repaired. Details on how to apply for the grant will be published next week - week starting Monday 17 February
• a separate Business Support Scheme worth up to £10million for SME businesses in areas affected by the floods
• all affected businesses will get 100% business rate relief for 3 months and will also get an extra 3 months to pay the business taxes they owe to HMRC as they get back on their feet
• a £10 million fund for farmers suffering water-logged fields to help restore it to farmable land as quickly as possible.
• a total commitment in excess of £750 million from the major banks to provide financial support to business and individual customers affected by the floods
• railways and roads - £31 million for 10 rail resilience projects and £30 million for local authorities in England for road maintenance required due to severe weather

Transport - support for the south west

There will be £5 reduction on all tickets for domestic flights from Newquay - delivered through a government grant to Cornwall Council. The reduction will take effect from Wednesday and will be in place for at least 2 weeks.

FlyBe are more than doubling the number of flights available on the air route between Newquay and London Gatwick - providing over 4,500 additional extra seats per week.

First Great Western has put in place special ticketing arrangements so that rail passengers who are affected by flood disruption do not miss out on cheaper advance fares while revised timetables are in place. Passengers will receive a 25% discount on walk-up fares for journeys that cross the Dawlish gap. If they have bought a more expensive ticket, First Great Western will refund the difference.

Government announcements

Thursday 20 February

• PM announces details of flood support packages
• Military personnel to remain available to assist local authorities
• Dredging to start on the Rivers Tone and Parrett as soon as possible
• Radio adverts launched to help safeguard flooding clean-up operation

Wednesday 19 February

• PM announces Council Tax refunds for flood hit households

Tuesday 18 February

• First monthly meeting with insurance industry on flooding

Monday 17 February

• £10 million support scheme for flood affected businesses

Sunday 16 February

• David Cameron’s statement following COBR

Saturday 15 February

• David Cameron’s statement following COBR

Thursday 13 February

• First meeting of new Cabinet Committee on Flooding
• Eric Pickles’ statement to Parliament on changes to the Bellwin scheme and the form councils can use to apply for it
• Transport Secretary meets with bus industry to help tackle weather disruption
• Citizens Advice support for flood and storm victims
• Brandon Lewis’ statement on sandbags

Wednesday 12 February

• Eric Pickles’ statement to Parliament on the latest situation
• £61 million for rail resilience and roads recovery
• New measures to help communities hit by flooding
• Tax helpline launched to support people affected by flooding

Tuesday 11 February

• David Cameron’s statement on the UK storms and flooding
• Government cuts cost of flying from Cornwall

Monday 10 February

• Eric Pickles’ statement following the evening COBR meeting
• Eric Pickles updates the House of Commons on the latest situation
• Nick Clegg visits flooded areas and promises government support

Sunday 9 February

• Prime Minister David Cameron chaired a meeting of COBR to discuss the latest situation

Saturday 8 February

• Eric Pickles’ update following the emergency COBR meeting he chaired in the evening

Friday 7 February

• Military support flood relief operation in Somerset
• Transport Secretary visits Dawlish in south-west
• Eric Pickles’ statement following the COBR meeting

Thursday 6 February

• Forty two new flood defences given the green light
• Eric Pickles’ statement to Parliament: government action taken to respond to floods and extreme weather

Wednesday 5 February

• PM announces £100 million for flood defences and “no restrictions on help” for those affected by storms
• More support for communities affected by floods

Military support

Around 3,500 personnel from the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Army and Royal Air Force continue to provide flood relief in affected parts of the UK. In addition, thousands more military personnel are at a high state of readiness ready to respond to flood threats.

Power supplies

The government is in regular contact with the Electricity Distribution Network Operators and the Energy Networks Association. The Distribution Network Operators are very focused on keeping their customers updated in the event of any disruption to power supplies. See ‘Who to call if you have a power cut’.

Government action on flood defences

England has faced the wettest January since 1766. The government response to this includes:

• £30 million to be spent on urgent flood defence repairs this year on top of the £100 million next year
• 42 new flood schemes given the green light
• 55 schemes starting work this year
  • they will protect over 43,000 households across the country
  • they represent an investment of over £344 million in total
• Existing flood defences and improvements to the way the the Environment Agency respond to incidents has meant over 1.2 million properties and nearly 2,500 square kilometres of farmland has been protected since the beginning of December

Be prepared

Latest information and advice about the severe weather and floods from government agencies and partners.

Environment Agency

For advice on the risk of flooding in your area and how to prepare, visit the Environment Agency’s website or follow them on Twitter: @EnvAgency.

Met Office

For the latest severe weather warnings visit the Met Office website or follow them on Twitter: @MetOffice.

Highways Agency

For advice on travel by road visit the Highways Agency website or follow them on Twitter: @Highways_Agency.

Local councils

Use this tool to find your local council and their advice.

National Rail

Check with National Rail Enquiries for the latest updates on service disruptions.

Public Health England

Advice on what to do before, during and after a flood. Health issues related to food, water and cleaning up after flooding. Read: Frequently asked questions on the health issues of flooding.

Who to call if you have a power cut

Your chosen electricity provider sells you energy, but it’s your local distribution network operator who maintains the power lines that connect your home or business to the network.

Take a look now and make a note of the number of the company that covers your area in case you need to use it at some stage. Further information: Who to call when you have a power cut.

Further information

Numerous government departments and agencies are working together to provide support throughout the severe weather. In addition to those listed above, further information and advice can be found on the following websites and Twitter channels:

• Department of Energy & Climate Change Twitter: @DECCgovuk
• Department for Transport Twitter: @transportgovuk