What support is available for businesses affected by the UK riots?

Riots and disorder have hit towns and cities across the UK and several businesses have been damaged. What support is available for businesses that have been impacted?

Tell the police

If your business suffers riot-related damage or loss, you should report it to the police as soon as possible. If you believe you are in immediate danger, call 999.

Claim on insurance

If your business is damaged as a result of a riot and you have an insurance policy, you should contact your insurer as soon as possible and before you attempt to claim compensation in another way.

The Association of British Insurers has a detailed guide to making an insurance claim due to a riot. The advice includes this:

"You should contact your insurer as soon as possible if your business or possessions have been damaged. Most insurers have a 24-hour helpline.

"As a business owner it will help if you have a clear and accurate record of your stock so that you can provide evidence of any loss. If possible, do not leave cash at premises outside business hours. During business hours, remove excess cash to a safe and consider what security measures might best secure your stock.

"Business Interruption Insurance will cover you for any periods when you cannot do business as normal because of damage to your property. This is usually offered as an extra when you buy buildings and contents insurance for your premises.

"You should keep business accounts up to date so that your insurer can more easily assess a potential shortfall in profit. You should also consider what contingency plans you can put in place to minimise business interruption should an unexpected event occur that causes you to stop trading.

"In some cases, particularly if your business or possessions are badly damaged, insurers will appoint a loss adjuster to handle the claim. Loss adjusters are experts in assessing the loss or amount of damage and they may well contact you separately to visit your business and oversee the restoration as soon as possible.

"If your damage is relatively minor, your insurer may be able to handle your claim without a detailed assessment of the loss."

Claim compensation under the Riot Compensation Act 2016

If you are not insured, or your insurer confirms that you are not fully covered, you might be able to claim compensation under the Riot Compensation Act (RCA) 2016. This applies in England and Wales.

You have 43 days to make your RCA claim from the date the riot ends. If you make an insurance claim and you are told you aren't fully covered, you have 43 days after that to make a RCA claim.

To receive compensation, you must demonstrate that the damage or loss suffered was as a result of a riot, as defined specifically in Section 1 of the Public Order Act 1986:

• Where 12 or more persons who are present together use or threaten unlawful violence for a common purpose and the conduct of them (taken together) is such as would cause a person of reasonable firmness present at the scene to fear for his personal safety, each of the persons using unlawful violence for the common purpose is guilty of riot.

• It is immaterial whether or not the 12 or more persons use or threaten unlawful violence simultaneously.

• The common purpose may be inferred from conduct.

• No person of reasonable firmness need actually be, or be likely to be, present at the scene.

• Riot may be committed in private as well as in public places.

Government guidance and the form for making an RCA claim is here.

You need to send the form to the Police and Crime Commissioner for the area where the riot took place, except in London where the claims authorities are the Mayor's Office for Police and Crime for the Metropolitan police area, and the Common Council for the City of London Police.

In Northern Ireland, you might be able to make a claim through the Criminal Damage Compensation Scheme. You must do so within 10 days of the damage being caused to the property or vehicle. Find full details

Other support

Your local council might be offering support to businesses impacted by the riots. For example, Belfast City Council has said it is looking into diverting funding from its Vacant to Vibrant scheme into supporting affected companies.

To check if anything is available in your area, visit the council's website.

Members of the Federation of Independent Retailers can claim emergency grants of up to £1,000.

If you're in England and your area has one, your local Business Improvement District might be able to provide support.