Government ministers have today (9 September) announced that businesses in England required to shut because of local lockdown interventions will now be able to claim local lockdown grants of up to £1,500 per property every three weeks.
In our earlier blog today, we were discussing the need for additional support of this kind. This scheme seeks to provide a safety net for jobs where a business is required to close due to local Covid-19 restrictions. The largest businesses (those with a rateable value in excess of £51,000) will receive £1,500 every three weeks, smaller businesses (those with a rateable value below £51,000) £1,000. If a business is not on the business rates list, it may still be eligible for payment from the local authority’s discretionary fund.
Each payment will be triggered by a national decision to close businesses in a high incidence area. Each payment will be made for a three-week period, with any subsequent 3-week lockdown period triggering an additional payment. The grants will be treated as taxable income.
Any businesses still closed at a national level (e.g. nightclubs) will not be eligible.
Wayne Thomas, partner at Bates Weston comments:
“Targeted, local support is very welcome, and will aim to ensure that businesses doing the right thing by temporarily closing their doors are not punished for it.”
Source: Government press release.