Small Business Rates Relief

CitizensAdviceDarlington

Martin Lewis, the Money Saving Expert has set up a £1 Million fund to help small charities during the Coronavirus Crisis. In just 1-week applications totalled £50 Million. Clearly the needs for help are overwhelming. The Government has just announced that £10K grants are to be given to any business receiving Small Business Rates Relief to help them survive the Coronavirus Crisis. How about extending the scheme to small Charities? This would really help loads of small charities to survive and thrive at a time when their services are needed more than ever.

DavidBrazier

This sounds like a really good idea. I know that some small businesses have already had a £10,000 grant approved by their local Council. Extending the scheme should be simple. Some charities in the Retail, Hospitality, and Leisure Sectors already qualify. Its just a matter of tweaking the guidance sent to Local Authorities. Let’s do it !!

 

CitizensAdviceDarlington

It would be a quick and simple solution. Also it would mean achieving some parity with business and recognising the VCS sector as being a significant employer in the UK.

vstephenson

small charities would really be helped with this grant! surely those small charities that qualify for charitable business rates relief should be eligible in exactly the same way as small businesses in receipt of small business business rates relief ?  let's end this disparity for charity!

DavidBrazier

I agree with vstephenson. The disparity between small businesses and charities needs to end. Even Nightclubs and Casinos are entitled to a grant. But most small charities get absolutely no benefit from the Small Business Grant Fund. Virtually all small businesses are entitled to a grant. But only charities in the retail, hospitality, or leisure sectors can get a grant from the Fund. Why not all charities ? Surely this can’t be right ?

RossWillmott

I think that the Government should treat all charities the same as as small businesses in terms of the grants they are awarding. It is very unfair that they are not doing so, especially given that many charities will be helping during this crisis and are significant employers, with all the costs faced by any other business.
Whist the £750m announced yesterday is welcome it is not sufficient to deal with the need and is still not putting charities in parity with small businesses.

CEShaw

As a fundraising consultant working with numerous small charities delivering essential services into vulnerable communities, it is clear to me there needs to be a quick route to financial support for them or many will collapse. I fully support the idea of extending the Small Business Grant Fund to include charities. The administrative requirements for HMRC would be minimal in terms of the number of applicants compared to businesses, but the benefits would be huge. The Chancellor should be pressed to make this option available immediately. The £750m awarded to charities this week is a start, but it is not nearly enough to support local groups meeting needs at a grassroots level. 

David39Fawcett

I work for a small charity (presently on furlough) whilst we'll be able to get some support for our wages there wasn't a lot else in the £750m awarded that I could see will help us. Like most charities our income stream has been decimated & the ability to apply for grants to the usual  trust Funds etc. that we go to will be even more difficult than it's ever been - more people applying & potentially less funds with the 'stock market crash'. Extending the Small Business Grant Fund to include charities could be a vital option for many.

JennyHand

For many years I have been making the case that charities should be treated the same as small businesses  with access to the same free training and business support. In this current crisis the case is even clearer extending the small business grant fund to charities could be the difference between survival or not for many. It is so often the infra-structure  in a  charity or a business that is most difficult to retain when income streams (including charitable fund-raising activities) are destroyed and grants are focussed on delivery of a limited range of pre-defined key services. We need support for the infra-structure, future planning  and  foresight essential in the health and economic recovery across the country that will need the local charitable sector more than ever along with the small local businesses. 

JimWintour

This seems a good idea.   Simple.  Easy to administer.  Winnable.

MartinBuchanan

In the best case scenario small to medium charities that are involved in frontline work are going to struggle to continue operating their services even if they change the rules on the £10k business grant fund. I feel for those charities that are not deemed 'frontline' or 'essential' during this COVID-19 crisis as they may no longer be sustainable. We are going to need these charities more than ever as none of us know what the fallout from all of this is going to be.