London businesses are still waiting on compensation for damage suffered during the riots in August 2011, it has been revealed.
According to a Freedom of Information request to the Metropolitan Police by shadow home office minister Steve Reed, £299m worth of compensation claims relating to the 2011 riots have been made. However, only £46.9m has been paid out, with 133 compensation claims still outstanding.
“It’s disgraceful there are still residents and business owners in London facing financial hardship because they have received either too little compensation or nothing at all,” said Reed. “Just 15% of the money claimed has been paid out and there are still over 130 claims where no money has been paid at all.”
The claims were made under the Riot Damages Act 1886 which entitles insurers and those without insurance to claim costs of any damage suffered.
A spokesman for the London Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime said that “only the most complex cases remained”.
It was estimated that £500m-worth of damage had been caused during the riots, as well as more than £300m in lost sales for businesses.
During the riots, businesses across the UK suffered damage to their stores, theft and in some cases, complete destruction.
Ravinder and Amrit Khurmy’s Ealing Green Local convenience store was set on fire during the riots. Their business was destroyed and it took them 18 months to re-open.
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