Businesses that are required to close due to local lockdowns will be eligible to claim a grant of up to £1,500 per property every three weeks.
This new grant is in addition to any other COVID-19 financial support businesses might be receiving.
Payment of the grant will be initiated by a national decision to close businesses within a particular area. To be eligible for the grant, a business must have been required to close by these local COVID-19 restrictions.
Details of the grant
- Each payment will be made for a three-week lockdown period;
- Each new three-week lockdown period will trigger an additional payment;
- Businesses that occupy premises with a rateable value of less than £51,000 or that occupy a property or part of a property subject to an annual rent or mortgage payment of less than £51,000 will receive £1,000;
- Businesses that occupy premises with a rateable value of exactly £51,000 or above or that occupy a property or part of a property subject to an annual rent or mortgage payment of exactly £51,000 or above will receive £1,500;
- Local Authorities will receive an additional 5% top up amount of business support funding to enable them to help businesses affected by closures that are not on the business rates list;
- Any businesses that are still closed at a national level, for example nightclubs, will not be eligible; and
- These grants will be treated as taxable income.