Covid 19 Grant And Financial Support For Businesses

Please note, where an eligible business has already received a LRSG (Local restrictions support grant) payment for the period 05 Jan 21 to 15 FEB 21, they will not need to reapply to receive this funding. As long as the business continues to meet the below criteria, the funding will be deposited in to the same account.

Businesses who continue to be mandated to close, and who are the named ratepayer on a property that is within the business ratings system (including where the property receives SBRR) will receive one of the following payments for the 44 day period beginning 16 February 2021:

• Businesses with a rateable value of exactly £15,000 or under on the date of the commencement of the widespread national restrictions will receive a payment of £2,096 per 44-day qualifying restriction period.
• Businesses with a rateable value over £15,000 and less than £51,000 on the date of the commencement of the widespread national restrictions will receive a payment of £3,143 per 44-day qualifying restriction period.
• Businesses with a rateable value of exactly £51,000 or above on the commencement date of the widespread national restrictions, will receive £4,714 per 44-day qualifying restriction period.

PLEASE NOTE: If you haven't already applied and haven't received a payment for the November national restrictions but you are eligible please complete the Local Restrictions Support Grant form HERE.  Do not re-apply if you have previously applied.

If you are unsure if your business is mandated to close, please check the criteria HERE.

At this point, we cannot comment on timescales to receive the payment.  Once Central Government release the funds to WMDC, we will release payment to all eligible businesses.  Eligible businesses will be notified via an emailed remittance advice, which will confirm the payment is being made and the amount they will receive.

Eligible businesses who have previously received a grant payment for the November 2020 period of national restrictions will automatically receive their payment and top up payment. Businesses do not need to take any action. 

If you haven't already applied and haven't received a payment for the November national restrictions but you are eligible please complete the Local Restrictions Support Grant form HERE. Do not re-apply if you have previously applied. 

If you are unsure if your business is mandated to close, please check the criteria HERE.

LRSG CLOSED (ADDENDUM)

Businesses within the business rates system that are mandated to close will receive the following:

Coronavirus Business Lockdown Grant (Businesses that are eligible for LRSG only)

Businesses within the business rates system that are mandated to close will receive the following:

Payments available:

LRSG Closed

Business that have a rates bill (even if they receive small business rate relief) and are legally mandated to close will receive the following:

LRSG Sector

This scheme is for businesses that have been required to close due to national restrictions imposed on 23 March 2020 and which have not been able to re-open as a result of regulations made under the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984.  Only the following businesses are eligible to receive this payment:

a. Nightclubs, dance halls, and discotheques

b. Sexual entertainment venues and hostess bars

LRSG Open

This scheme is aimed at hospitality, hotel, bed & breakfast and leisure businesses that are not forced to close, have a rates bill (even if they receive small business rate relief), and have been affected by covid restrictions.

If you haven't already applied and haven't received a payment for the November national restrictions but you are eligible please complete the Local Restrictions Support Grant form HERE. Do not re-apply if you have previously applied.

This is a mandatory grant for businesses that are legally required to close between 5th November 2020 to 2nd December 2020 (a list of businesses mandated to close can be found here)

Grant amounts are fixed and payable as a single payment to cover the 28 day period

Eligible businesses will receive the following:

• For properties with a rateable value of £15k or under, grants to be £1,334 per four weeks;
• For properties with a rateable value of over £15k and below £51k, grants to be £2,000 per four weeks;
• For properties with a rateable value of £51k or over, grants to be £3,000 per four weeks

If you haven't already applied and haven't received a payment for the November national restrictions but you are eligible please complete the Local Restrictions Support Grant form HERE. Do not re-apply if you have previously applied.

Businesses in the leisure, hospitality & accommodation sectors that were impacted by Tier 2 restrictions may be eligible to receive a grant under the open local restrictions grant scheme please see below table the figures for open which is what you may receive.

If you haven't already applied and haven't received a payment for the November national restrictions but you are eligible please complete the Local Restrictions Support Grant form HERE. Do not re-apply if you have previously applied.

From 1st November 2020, Businesses who have been forced to close since March 2020 will be eligible to receive grant support. 

Eligible businesses are;

• Nightclubs, Dance Halls and Discotheques
• Sexual Entertainment Venues and Hostess Bars

The amount they will receive will be as follows;

• For businesses with a rateable value of £15k or under, grants to be £667 per 14 days;
• For businesses with a rateable value of over £15k and under £51k, grants to be £1000 per 14 days;
• For businesses with a rateable value of £51k or over, grants to be £1500 per 14 days;

PLEASE NOTE RE PAYMENTS...
In order to process the grant application, Central Government have imposed a series of additional verification checks that need to be undertaken, including fraud checks. 

Whilst we are endeavouring to process and where appropriate, make a payment within 12 working days these checks are out of our hands. 

Should we require any further information, we will of course come back to you asap. 

We will also inform you on the outcome of your application at the earliest opportunity. 

Businesses who meet the following should check the criteria and apply for the appropriate Additional Restrictions Grant scheme below…

• ARG1 - Those registered for self-assessment and unable to access SEIS
• ARG2 - Retail, Leisure and Hospitality supply chain businesses
• ARG3 - Businesses not able to access funding under National Restrictions

GRANT SCHEME CRITERIA…

ARG 1

This scheme is designed to support individuals who are self-employed and / or registered for self-assessment, but have been unable to receive financial support under other schemes such as the Self Employment Income Support scheme.  This includes, but is not restricted to, those that work from home, freelancers, mobile health and beauty and personal trainers.

Under this scheme eligible applicants will receive a single, one off payment of £1000.

In order to receive the payment, applicants must:

• Be registered for self-assessment after 5th April 2019 and on or before 30th October 2020, and have a UTR number as of 4th November 2020
• Be able to provide a copy of their UTR number (in the form of wither provide a copy of the letter received from HRMC confirming their UTR number or a screenshot of their online self-assessment account which clearly shows the UTR)
• Not be eligible to receive support under the SEIS

ARG 2

Businesses not forced to close but impacted as they supply to Retail, Leisure and Hospitality businesses

• Have demonstrable fixed property / business costs. 
• Be able to demonstrate a reduction in income of at least 25% compared to the previous year
• Evidence that they supply to RHL sector

Eligible businesses will receive the following:

• Businesses with a rateable value and / or fixed property costs Under £15k -  £1,000
• Businesses with a rateable value and / or fixed property costs 15 to 51k  - £1,800
• Businesses with a rateable value and / or fixed property costs 51k over -  £2,800

ARG 3

Businesses not able to access funding under National Restrictions

Those eligible for this scheme will be businesses that:

• Have been legally required to close but are not the business rate payer / do not pay rates
• Rate paying businesses not required to close but severely impacted
• Those who physically occupy managed workspace / shared accommodation
• Can provide a copy of their rental / lease agreement

Eligible businesses will receive the following:

• Where the annual rental is up to and including £10,000 pa, a one off grant of £1,800
• Where the annual rental is between £10,001 and over pa, a one off grant of £2,800

IMPORTANT UPDATE

We have taken the decision to close the Additional Restrictions Grant Scheme (ARG discretionary funding) as of 12pm Tues 2 March - All applications received up to and including 12pm on 2 March will be reviewed and processed.

As has always been mentioned applications are on a first come first serve basis.

If after this point funds are made available we may reopen the scheme.

If you are a business that meets the above criteria and hasn’t already applied, apply HERE.

Businesses who received an ARG payment during National Restrictions 2 will receive one of the following top up payments:

If you believe your business may be eligible for the ARG please check the criteria and apply in the ‘Additional Restrictions Grant (Discretionary Support Grant)’ tab.

IMPORTANT UPDATE

We have taken the decision to close the Additional Restrictions Grant Scheme (ARG discretionary funding) as of 12pm Tues 2 March - All applications received up to and including 12pm on 2 March will be reviewed and processed.

As has always been mentioned applications are on a first come first serve basis.

If after this point funds are made available we may reopen the scheme.

If you are a business that meets the above criteria and hasn’t already applied, apply HERE.

Will I get another payment under this scheme?  No.  This payment is a one off payment paid in addition to the LRSG scheme payment.  Where a business has already received a payment under this scheme, they will not receive a further coronavirus business lockdown payment.  If a business has not yet applied for the LRSG scheme, then please do so by filling in the application form HERE.

Businesses that took out Government-backed Bounce Back Loans to get through the difficult Covid-19 period will now have greater flexibility to repay their loans, the Government announced on 8th February.

To read the full Government release, click here Bounce back loan borrowers can delay repayments by extra six months - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The new changes and flexibilities include the option to delay all repayments for a further six months. Pausing repayments will be available to all businesses from their first repayment, rather than their sixth.

Pay as You Grow enables borrowers to extend the length of their loans from six to ten years, which reduces monthly payments by almost half, and make interest-only payments for six months.

From today, lenders should be reaching out to borrowers to provide information on repayment schedules and how to access the “Pay as You Grow” options for their business.