Frequently Asked Questions 14th January 2005 Q. How do I enquire about flood, weather and highway related matters? A. A County wide help line has been established which is 0845 609 6609, this is operational 24 hours a day. There is also a dedicated web site www.cumbriaalert.info. Council Services Q. Are Council Services running as normal? A. Please contact or visit the temporary contact centre at Tullie House on 01228 817200. Refuse and Environmental Issues Q. Is the refuse and recycling collection running as normal? A. Collections for refuse and green box recycling are taking place as normal. Collections of garden waste have been cancelled for this week. Q. Is there a charge for special collections (this includes furniture and debris from homes affected by the flood)? A. Special collections are free to everyone during the current recovery process. Q. Who do I contact about excess refuse? A. Please contact 01228 817200 and an environmental health officer will visit. Q. How should I dispose of food? A. Keep food frozen for as long as possible, double bag and put it out as normal refuse preferably in a rodent proof container. Carlisle City Council is handing out bin bags for double bagging food but these can also be obtained by contacting 01228 625065, 01228 625039, 01228 625108, 01228 625070. Q. Is the pest control service running as normal? A. Yes. There will be more rodents around as they have been flushed from their homes. If you have concerns about them being in your home please contact 01228 817200. Property Issues Q. How do I know if someone is genuinely from Carlisle City Council? A. All Carlisle City Council staff will have ID and/or a yellow jacket, which has the Carlisle City Council logo on it. Please contact 01228 625065, 01228 625039, 01228 625108 or 01228 625070 if you have any doubts. Q. How long will I be out of my house? A. Carlisle City Council can not assess individual cases, please contact your insurance company. Q. Where can I stay if my home is uninhabitable due to flood damage? A. If you are insured, study your insurance documents or contact your insurance company. Most insurance companies will pay for temporary accommodation for up to 6 months. Q. What should I do if I have no insurance and my house has been flood damaged? A. Contact the Customer Contact Centre at Tullie House or by phone on 01228 817200. Details will be taken and we will put you in touch with Homelessness Officers. Carlisle City Council can collect damaged goods from outside your properties. Please contact 01228 625065, 01228 625039, 01228 625108 and 01228 625070. Q. When can I clean out my house? A. Contact your insurance company who will advise on next steps. Q. Who do I contact to organise drying out my house? A. Your insurance company will be able to advise on this procedure. The Yellow pages contain companies to deal with this. Q. Who should I contact about my power? A. Please contact United Utilities on 0800 195 4141. Q. Should I be concerned about contaminated water in my house or in the streets? A. Assume all flood water is contaminated. Please discourage children from playing in congregated water. Q. What should I do if I need to pump out water from my house? A. Before taking action contact your insurance company and seek advice. You can hire pumps and dehumidifiers. Check the Yellow Pages. Highway Issues Q. How do I report fallen or dangerous trees? A. Council workers are checking the safety and removing fallen trees. If you would like to report fallen or dangerous trees please contact 01228 625 000. Q. Who do I report streetlights and blocked gullies to? A. In working hours contact 01228 817200 and out of office hours contact 0845 609 6609. Q. Who do I report abandoned vehicles to? A. Please contact the police on 01768 89199. Once the Police confirm the vehicle is abandoned the council will remove it. Q. Who should I report dead live stock to? A. If live stock is on private land please contact trading standard on 01228 606060. If live stock is on public roads and highways please contact 01228 817200. Housing Issues Q. What number should I contact with a housing benefit or council tax benefit query? A. 01228 625602. Telephone lines will be available through normal office hours 9am till 5pm. If lines are engaged please continue trying. Q. How can I claim housing and/or council tax benefit? A. Tullie House will be open from 12th January from 9am to 5pm and every working day after that for the foreseeable future. If you wish to claim housing benefit and need to complete a new claim form please write in stating that you wish to claim benefit and date. You will be contacted as soon as possible after that. Q. If I applied for housing benefit before the flood, when will my claim be assessed? A. Systems are down at the present time but we are working hard to get back to normal. Claims will be assessed as soon as possible. Q. How can I pay my council tax? A. You can pay at the bank or post office if you know your council tax account number. You will find this on your council tax bill or stationery. If you wish to sned a cheque please address the envelope to the Civic Centre, Rickergate, Carlisle. Mail is being redirected. Q. What happens about my council tax if my home is uninhabitable? A. You may be able to get an exemption from council tax for up to 12 months if your home has been made uninhabitable due to flood damage. A form is available from Tullie House or by telephone on 01228 817200. If you wish to write the information we need the full address of your property, whether damages was due to floods, brief description of damage and enclose photograph where possible. Send all correspondence to Civic Centre, Rickergate, Carlisle and correspondence will be forwarded to the relevant sections. Please note that your property may be inspected. Q. What is Carlisle Housing Association’s number? A. 0845 345 8500 Q. If I have a flood damaged Carlisle Housing Association house do I need to inform housing benefits? A. Please inform Carlisle Housing Association who will provide benefit information. Q. who do I contact for help and advice on housing? A. if you enquiry is a general request for housing advice or if you require emergency housing please contact 01228 817200. If you require emergency housing please prepare to answer the following questions - Please provide your details including name, age and address - Do you have a bed tonight? - Are you able to stay with friends or relatives? - Where have you been homeless from? - Is this a result of flooding? Q. How can Carlisle City Council help me with housing? A. The Council can help if you are in need of emergency housing and are homeless. Initially this may be a bed and breakfast or hostel accommodation Q. Will I have to pay for any housing costs? A. your financial position will be assessed if you apply for housing benefit assistance, which takes into account your incomings and outgoings. If you have been made homeless due to flooding and have home insurance, the cost of temporary housing will need to reclaimed from your insurance company. Volunteer Issues Q. Who do I contact to volunteer to assist with recovery? A. Please contact 01228 625011. Donation and Grant Issues Q. If I would like to donate funds to assist recovery who do I send cheques to? A. Cumbria Community Foundation and ‘News & Star’ have launched an appeal; more information is available at www.cumbriafoundation.org/. Please make cheques payable to ‘Cumbria Community Foundation, Unit 6B, Lakeland Business Park, Cockermouth, CA13 0QT (Tel: 01900 820822). Any enquiries to Carlisle City Council, c/o Mayoral & Civic Officer, Bousteads Grassing, Rome Street, Carlisle (Tel:01228 625011). Q. Where can we donate furniture or white goods for flood victims? A. You can contact Cumbria Foundation on 01900 820822. The organisation or Impact Housing on 01228 633647. Q. Is there a collection centre for clothes to donate to the flood victims? A. You can contact Cumbria Foundation on 01900 820822. The organisation ‘Shelter’ is giving clothes to affected citizens contact on 01228 595687. Q. How can I claim a grant from the emergency flood fund? A. A claim can be made by contacting Cumbria Foundation on www.cumbriafoundation.org or 01228 820822. Business Issues Q. Who do I contact if my business is out of action due to flood damage and needs to be demolished? A. Please contact the valuation office at Rufus House on 01228 600200 Access Issues Q. Can I access parks and open spaces? A. All Carlisle City Council’s park and open spaces are closed to the public at the present time due to a danger of fallen trees and other damaged structures. Carlisle City Council Staff Issues Q. Is there a number for staff to call to find out if they have to come into work or any personnel queries? A. Carlisle City Council employees should ring Personnel on 01228 625086. Q. When is the Civic Centre likely to reopen to staff? A. The situation as at 12th January is that staff are unlikely to be able to return to the Civic Centre until early February. Managers are endeavouring to provide alternative accommodation & access to IT systems as soon as possible. Future Flood Risk Q.