COVID-19 Update 9th March 2021
- Grant Subsidy Allowance
The Government has updated the guidance on the current grants that are available to businesses in line with the Government’s recent announcement that the State Aid caps were being changed now that the UK is no longer a member of the EU. The replacement for Coronavirus support is called the Grant Subsidy Allowance and has a cap of £10,935,000, which consists of three components:
Small Amounts of Financial Assistance Allowance
Businesses allowed up to £335,000 (subject to exchange rates) over any period of 3 years
COVID-19 Business Grant Allowance
Businesses are allowed up to £1,600,000
COVID-19 Business Grant Special Allowance
Businesses that have reached their limits under the Small Amounts of Financial Assistance Allowance and COVID-19 Business Grant Allowance may be able to access a further allowance of funding under these scheme rules of up to £9,000,000, provided certain conditions are met
The details of these three allowances is available in the updated guidance documents for the different grant schemes
ARG
LRSG (Closed)
LRSG (Sector)
Christmas Support Payment for Pubs
- Closing Dates for Grant Applications
The Government has also updated the closing dates for applications to the various grants. These are:
LRSG (Sector)
Closing Date – 31 March 2021
RSG (Open)
Closing Date – 31 March 2021
Closed Businesses Lockdown Payment
Closing Date – 31 March 2021.
- ARG Update
The guidance on the ARG grant has been updated to specifically include tourism and events businesses that are not eligible for other grants.
Local councils have the freedom to determine the eligibility criteria for these grants. However, we expect the funding to help those businesses which – while not legally forced to close – are nonetheless severely impacted by the restrictions.
This could include:
- businesses which supply the retail, hospitality, and leisure sectors
- businesses in the tourism and events sectors
- business required to close but which do not pay business rates
- Updated Financial Support Finder
The government’s online tool for helping businesses find what financial support they are entitled to has been updated in line with recent changes to support announced in the budget
https://www.gov.uk/business-coronavirus-support-finder
- Tier 4 Changes in Scotland
The Scottish Government has announced the following changes from 12th March:
-
- Up to four adults from two households will be able to meet locally in any outdoor space, including in private gardens, for social and recreational purposes as well as exercise. People should only go indoors if it is essential in order to reach a back garden, or to go to the toilet.
- Outdoor non-contact sports and group exercise will also resume for adults in groups of up to 15 people.
- Young people aged 12 to 17 will be able to meet outdoors in groups of up to four people from four different households, participate in outdoor non-contact sports, and other organised activities in groups of up to 15 and travel across local authority boundaries to participate in such activities.
They also announced that they intend to reopen places of worship with attendance limits increased from 20 to 50 where there is space for social distancing on Friday 26 March, with a decision be taken on Tuesday 23 March.
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