Business Rate Relief - Covid-19

stuart1703

My Business operates from 2 separate sites (2 x premises). Both of which are registered to the same company but have 2 different property references and business rates bills.

Stand Alone both are under the £50k rates (one is just below £38k and the other £21k) but collectively they are over £50k.
We have been told today that there is a rate relief for business with rates below £50k. Is this true? and if so does anyone know how this would work for us? We have had to close down because of the virus (we are a manufacturing business).

Thanks in advance

kenaldo1

am i elegible for small business relief, i own one property with rateable value £14750 and i own a third share in another property rateable value £14750 , but the council tells me that i am not eligble for relief on both properties despite just owning 1/3 share in the second property 

Jeremy535897

kenaldo1 said:

am i elegible for small business relief, i own one property with rateable value £14750 and i own a third share in another property rateable value £14750 , but the council tells me that i am not eligble for relief on both properties despite just owning 1/3 share in the second property 

If you are asking whether you can claim two small business grants, the answer is no. You can get more than one RHL grant.

From FAQs for LAs:
"14. Can businesses with multiple properties claim multiple grants? (e.g. Can a hairdresser with three shops with less than £15k rates, claim three £10k grants?)
Businesses can only get one grant under the Small Business Grant scheme. Businesses eligible for the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant scheme can claim one grant per eligible property." 

Sachs

Where are you getting that from Jeremy?

20 -"Eligible recipients will be entitled to receive one grant per hereditament from the earlier of the date payment of the grant by the Local Authority or 1st April 2020"

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/881040/business_support_grants-local_authorities_guidance.pdf

Edit: I've just googled what you said and I can see some LAs are saying its one per business but I'm 90% sure they are wrong, it 1 per hereditament.

Sachs

Jeremy535897 said:

kenaldo1 said:

am i elegible for small business relief, i own one property with rateable value £14750 and i own a third share in another property rateable value £14750 , but the council tells me that i am not eligble for relief on both properties despite just owning 1/3 share in the second property 

If you are asking whether you can claim two small business grants, the answer is no. You can get more than one RHL grant.

From FAQs for LAs:
"14. Can businesses with multiple properties claim multiple grants? (e.g. Can a hairdresser with three shops with less than £15k rates, claim three £10k grants?)
Businesses can only get one grant under the Small Business Grant scheme. Businesses eligible for the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant scheme can claim one grant per eligible property." 

I've double checked - those Councils you're quoting are definitely wrong and/or the guidance was updated. It now states:

Small Business Grant Fund Eligibility
11. Businesses with a property that on the 11 March 2020 were eligible for Small Business Rate Relief (SBRR) Scheme (including those with a Rateable Value between £12,000 and £15,000 which receive tapered relief).
12. Businesses which on 11 March 2020 were eligible for relief under the Rural Rate Relief Scheme are also eligible for this scheme.
13. Eligible recipients will receive one grant per property. 

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/878082/small-business-grant-and-retail-leisure-hospitality-grant-guidance-for-businesses-v2.pdf

daveyjp

The guidance has changed 4-5 times in as many weeks.  Its one reason why some payments are being delayed.

Every time the guidance changes the rating list has to be rechecked and list of eligible recipients reviewed.

Sachs

Yeah, the general guidance document is on version 2 and the LA guidance is on version 5!

Jeremy535897

Thanks for that. I hadn't spotted that they have changed the rule in the guidance, which originally seemed to state that it was only one grant for business. They haven't updated the FAQs as far as I can tell. You may find the fuller guidance for local authorities helpful:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/881040/business_support_grants-local_authorities_guidance.pdf

Sachs

Thanks Jeremy but that was the one I provided to you! I was more interested in a link to the one you were quoting!

Jeremy535897

Yours  at first was the guidance for businesses. I think our later posts crossed. The document with the FAQs on it was provided to South Norfolk council, but its format is the same as the guidance, and it was of wider application:
https://www.south-norfolk.gov.uk/sites/default/files/Covid-19-Grant-Funding-FAQ-Apr20.pdf