Small Business Grant

rodgerboyd

We're a registered company with 4 years trading history including NI, income Tax and VAT payments. We've been refused a small business grant because we pay our business rates through our landlord (rent) and not directly to our local Council. The grant could save our business, can anyone provide advice or tips on who we need to talk to. We've already tried MP's, Local Council, County Council and Chancellor all of whom have been a complete waste of time.

Jeremy535897

From FAQs for local authorities:
"53. How does this funding work with shared space/serviced offices, where tenants are not the rate payers? Only businesses with their own assessment for business rates and eligible for SBRR, rural or Expanded Retail Discount with a rateable value below £51,000 will be eligible for the grant. Businesses which are not ratepayers are not eligible. We understand for some shared space/service offices, individual users do have their own rating assessment and may be eligible. In these cases we encourage landlords to support local government in ensuring the grant reaches eligible ratepayers.
54. I am not the ratepayer – my landlord pays the rates on this space. Will I get funding? This funding is to support small and rural businesses who are ratepayers on a property. These businesses are more likely to have on-going fixed costs."

If you are the sole occupant of a hereditament and the landlord should have informed the council that you are the occupier, so that you were on the rating list, the council could consider whether you should have been the recipient of the grant rather than the landlord. However, this is entirely at the local authority's discretion, and if they have turned you down, all anyone can do is ask them to change their minds. See paragraphs 32 to 42:
 https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/878807/business_support_grants-local_authorities_guidance.pdf

MattASR

I'm in exactly the same position, 7 years of trading, renting a building with 6 other tenants and not entitled to SBRR even though my rates are paid in my rent, I pay £1300pm for my workshop and then gas and electric on top.

The government need to do something about this because as you say this would help both of our businesses. I've not been able to pay my landlord (knowing him I will have to pay this at a later date which will be almost impossible) because the 3 weeks of work I had booked before the lockdown all rearranged (at least they didn't cancel and I have work to go back to), both of my suppliers closed so I'm unable to get paint and materials and I've also been told by my GP I'm someone at risk of severe illness if I catch coronavirus so I'm to stay at home for a minimum of 12 weeks.

I will also create a post so more people are aware of this situation.

There is a petition to sign for small businesses that don't qualify for SBRR but I'm unable to post a link because I'm a new member, if you'd like to private message me I'll be happy to share the link.

fivethreenine

I am the owner of a building that has 2 businesses working from it, one of them has claimed and I have been told that the other business needs to ask for a rate reference and show proof of tenancy and bills as we didn't split the building. I do have a copy of the lease and the land registry plan showing the shared building. Apparently doing the rate reference and the tenancy agreement and bills prior to march 2020 worked for a friend of mine in a different council area.

cafebarowner

In the same boat, have been paying business rates for 18 years on our rented premises.  Landlord though is the bill payer, each month our invoice from him itemises the rent payable, business rates payable and electricity payable.  Ongoing business costs do not halt, such as public liability, etc., and the grant would have helped enormously.  Very interested to read fivethreenine's posting - thank you, food for thought!

Chartilda

Hi, I am an SBRR payer and have received the grant, I never expect something for nothing so will this grant have to be paid back at some point? excuse my ignorance here but I have never had to have financial help in all my life nor looked into anything like this before...thanks

Jeremy535897

It will not need paying back ever, unless you received it wrongly. You will have to include it as part of your taxable profits, so you may pay tax and NIC on some of it, depending on what your overall taxable income for 2020/21 is.

Mirageair

Hi
I run a garage from a rented Premises in London NW for the past 35 years. I applied to the Brent council for the Grant as per Government Guidelines help for small businesses affected by Corvid-19. I don't receive small business rate relief and the valuation on my premises is 17750 pounds for business rates purposes. The Council has written back to me rejecting my application for the Grant! saying and I quote "Thank you for completing the online form for the Covid 19 Business Grant.

 Unfortunately, under the business grant guidance, hereditaments included in the scheme are those which on 11th March 2020 had a rateable value of less than £51,000 and would have been eligible for a discount under the business rates Expanded Retail Discount Scheme had that scheme been in force for that date. As your property (workshop and premises) does not meet the criteria for the Expanded Retail Discount scheme, there is no grant applied to this property".  I don't understand what they mean by that and would be glad to hear from you to whether I qualify or not..Thanks

Hesel18

this from Gov.uk website:

Hesel18

sorry forgot to put the info on lol

The Business Secretary Alok Sharma and Minister for Regional Growth and Local Government, Simon Clarke spoke to local authorities in England yesterday to set out that up to £617 million would be made available.

This is an additional 5% uplift to the £12.33 billion funding previously announced for the Small Business Grants Fund (SBGF) and the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grants Fund (RHLGF), so up to £617 million. We will confirm the exact amount for each local authority next week.

This additional fund is aimed at small businesses with ongoing fixed property-related costs. We are asking local authorities to prioritise businesses in shared spaces, regular market traders, small charity properties that would meet the criteria for Small Business Rates Relief, and bed and breakfasts that pay council tax rather than business rates. But local authorities may choose to make payments to other businesses based on local economic need. The allocation of funding will be at the discretion of local authorities.

Businesses must be small, under 50 employees, and they must also be able to demonstrate that they have seen a significant drop of income due to Coronavirus restriction measures.

There will be three levels of grant payments. The maximum will be £25,000. There will also be grants of £10,000. local authorities will have discretion to make payments of any amount under £10,000. It will be for councils to adapt this approach to local circumstances.

Further guidance for local authorities will be set out shortly.

Jeremy535897

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/top-up-to-local-business-grant-funds-scheme