SEFA Payments Total £119,000 to Residents Affected by Flooding

Since the flooding emergency, which hit parts of our district from Monday 30 October, Newry, Mourne and Down District Council has paid £119,000 through the Scheme of Financial Assistance (SEFA).

The emergency funds are made available through the Department for Communities (DfC) and administered by Councils in response to the needs of householders across Northern Ireland in the event of any flooding.

Individual householders in Newry, Mourne and Down, who suffered severe inconvenience as a result of internal flooding to their properties, were able to claim a one off payment of £1,000 through the Scheme as an offer of practical assistance. The day after the flooding began, on Tuesday 31 October, the Council notified residents of the financial assistance scheme, which DfC activated.  Since then, the Council has been working at pace to identify eligible households and distribute cheques promptly to ensure that homes have been made habitable as quickly as possible. 

Newry, Mourne and Down District Council Chairperson, Councillor Valerie Harte said, “SEFA closed on Thursday 16 November and I would like to pay tribute to Council officers for ensuring that all 119 eligible households each received £1,000 payment within seven days of the scheme ending, helping them to make their homes fit to live in as quickly as possible.

“I know residents have lost a great deal and there is still much to be done. However, I hope that this quick payment has helped in some way to begin to rebuild what was lost.

“I would like to thank the Department for Communities for its funding of SEFA and the Council teams and agencies who worked tirelessly on the ground from the outset of this emergency to respond to the needs of households and businesses.”