Suffolk property owners whose homes or businesses suffered internal damage from Storm Babet may be able to claim £5,000 from the government next year to prevent further damage.

But there are fears this could only be a fraction of what they need - and the money will not be paid out until all the work has been completed.

Details of the government's Property Flood Resilience (PFR) grant have been published by Suffolk County Council which will administer it on behalf of DEFRA.

However the rules are complex - and it can be something of a gamble. 

Grants of up to £5,000 are available for work - of which £500 can be used on a survey to work out what is needed. 

However if a householder has a survey, the grant only becomes available once the work recommended is completed - so if you can't afford the work required, you won't be able to get any help towards the cost of a survey.

Also the costs of surveys are now commonly up to about £1,200 and the cost of the actual work needed could well be much more than £5,000 - the figures have not been raised since 2013.

And the fact that property owners have to pay the cost of the survey and work before they can claim the grant also may make it prohibitive for some property owners.

The grant is only available to those who have already reported flooding in Storm Babet - and the county council will be contacting those eligible directly.

The grants are expected to be paid through until August 2025 - but all work and documentation will have to be completed by the end of next year.

Steve Wiles, deputy cabinet member for highways and drainage, said he knew the grants were complex to access - but they could make a major difference to some property owners.

He said: "People who suffered badly from flooding in Storm Babet could be able to get help through this grant."