Covid 19 Grant And Financial Support For Businesses

Businesses that have been mandated to close by the Government for the period 5th November 2020 to 31st March 2021 may be eligible to receive payments under the Local Restriction Support Grant Schemes. 

PLEASE NOTE:

-Applications for LRSG payments the period of 5th November - 15th February have now closed.

-Applications for LRSG payments the period of 16th February - 31st March will remain open till the 31st May.

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.

For new applications, please allow up to 15 working days to receive your first payment.  Please note, this may be longer if we require additional information for you.

Subsequent payments will be made without the need to reapply.  If you are a recipient of LRSG funding, but have not yet receive your payment for 16th February to 31st March, please do not contact us for timescales as we are unable to comment on individual applications.  The payments team are working hard to release the relevant funding to all eligible businesses.

We understand that it can be difficult to navigate the different schemes.  Below is an overview of the national restrictions periods and the funding available

5th November 2020 to 1st December 2020 (closed 31/03/2021)

Businesses occupying premises with a rateable value that are mandated to close receive:

2nd December 2020 to 4th January 2021 (closed 31/03/2021)

Businesses occupying premises with a rateable value that are mandated to close receive:

5th January 2021 to 15th February 2021 (closed 31/03/2021)

Businesses occupying premises with a rateable value that are mandated to close receive:

Closed Business Lockdown Payment  - one-off top-ups (closed 31/03/2021)

16th February 2021 to 31st March 2021 (closes 31/05/2021)

Businesses occupying premises with a rateable value that are mandated to close receive:

The Restart Grant scheme supports businesses in the non-essential retail, hospitality, leisure, personal care and accommodation sectors with a one-off grant, to reopen safely as COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.

RESTART GRANT: IMPORTANT UPDATE – THE APPLICATION FORM FOR THE RESTART GRANT SCHEME IS NOW LIVE! IF YOU ARE A BUSINESS THAT MEETS THE BELOW CRITERIA (SEE RESTART TAB) THEN YOU ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY VIA THE ONLINE APPLICATION FORM HERE

As this is a new scheme, it has been clarified that all eligible businesses will need to reapply. 

This scheme provides financial support to businesses based on Sector.  So, an eligible business that meets the sector criteria can access the funding if they were mandated to close during national restrictions, as long as they occupy a property for which they are the named business on the Councils Business Rating Systems as of the 1st April 2021, (even if they receive Small Business Rate Relief and  do not actually pay any Business Rates). Please note, these grant payments are one-off payments.

Please note take away businesses are not eligible for the Restart Grant.

The amount of funding will be as follows:

Strand One: For Non-Essential Retail Businesses

Strand Two: For Hospitality, leisure, personal care, gyms & sports, entertainment and some accommodation Businesses

The Government has issued clear definitions of non-essential retail, hospitality, accommodation, leisure, personal care and gym & sports businesses as stated below;

• Non-essential retail definition: a business that is open to the public and is used mainly or wholly for the purposes of retail sale or hire of goods or services, where the primary purpose of products or services provided are not necessary to the health and well-being of the public.
• Hospitality definition: a business whose main function is to provide a venue for the consumption and sale of food and drink
• Leisure definition: a business that provides opportunities, experiences and facilities, in particular for culture, recreation, entertainment, celebratory events, days and nights out, betting and gaming
• Accommodation definition: a business whose main lodging provision is used for holiday, travel and other purposes.
• Gym & Sport definition: a commercial establishment where physical exercise or training is conducted on an individual basis or group basis, using exercise equipment or open floor space with or without instruction, or where individual and group sporting, athletic and physical activities are participated in competitively or recreationally.
• Personal care definition: a business which provides a service, treatment or activity for the purposes of personal beauty, hair, grooming, body care and aesthetics, and wellbeing.

The attached PDF provides a more thorough list of the businesses that are eligible.  We would encourage businesses to check this list to ensure they are classed as one of the eligible businesses. 

Only businesses of the types listed are eligible to receive the Restart Grant funding. 

Payment timescales: Where we have all the information needed as part of the application, applications will be processed within 15 working days - this may be longer if we require further information or further checks on eligibility - Please note, this is a one-off payment.

At this time, there is no discretionary funding available to support businesses who do not meet the above criteria.  If this changes, we will communicate this via all of our channels.

Enquiry response timescales: We are receiving high volume enquires in relation to the Restart Grant, our business support team are working hard to support businesses resolve issues - please allow up to 3 working days for a member of our business support team to get back to you in response to your enquiry.

Looking for futher information around the RESTART Grant Scheme? Check our FAQs 

In response to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, Wakefield Council are providing a one-off payment of £500 to all drivers licensed with WMDC.

Drivers will need to provide a copy of their valid license number, as well as their bank details.

Once the driver’s license number has been verified with our current records, payment will be made to drivers.  Please allow up to 15 working days to receive the payment, from the point at which we receive the application.

Please note: this scheme closed 5pm Friday 7th May 2021.

Self Employed individuals can receive critical financial support in the form of grans related to trading profit.

The scheme has been extended to cover two additional periods and eligibility has now been widened.

Your trading profits must be no more than £50,000 and at least equal to your non-trading income. You must also have traded in both tax years:

• 2019 to 2020 and submitted your tax return by 2 March 2021
• 2020 to 2021

February to April 2021
This scheme will open in April 2021

The grant for this period will provide a taxable grant calculated at 80% of 3 months’ average trading profits. The fourth grant will be paid out in a single instalment and capped at £7,500 in total.

May to September 2021
The amount of the this  grant will be determined by how much your turnover has been reduced in the year April 2020 to April 2021.

The fifth grant will be worth:

• 80% of 3 months’ average trading profits, capped at £7,500, for those with a turnover reduction of 30% or more
• 30% of 3 months’ average trading profits, capped at £2,850, for those with a turnover reduction of less than 30%

For more information, head HERE.