Martin Lewis joins campaigners calling on Treasury to help 3m excluded from coronavirus support

Grumpy_chap

se2020 said:

My business is running mobile bars for wedding so have no work whatsoever left this year. 

I have a large value of stock which will all need to be discarded within the next 8-10weeks so unless things get back to normal quickly for big weddings I will be done.

Could you not look to adapt your business while lock down is on / weddings are restricted?

We have a local coffee van that is doing the rounds and stopping at the local park, rather like the ice cream van does.  Long queues every afternoon - certainly adapted from doing sandwich rounds for local businesses.

Also, the mobile  Prosecco Bar (also does cocktails) pitches up on a near by driveway for the early Saturday evening and does OK.   Don't do as well as the coffee van tbh (not as long queues) but better than nothing while the usual events and festivals are all "off".

Something like the above would allow you to sell your stock and then be better placed to restart once the options are reopened.

gt94sss2

se2020 said:

I appreciate the bb loan is very favorable rates yet building a debt seems silly to me when I have no idea or guidance of any timeframe when I will be able to start.makkng repayments towards it.

With respect, you can take the BBL, not use it if your market hasn't recovered and pay it back within 12 months at no cost to yourself. No repayments or interest is charged to you during this period.

Just please don't come back in a few months wishing you had applied while BBLs were available as you then need to find funds to buy stock - and banks are then refusing loans and/or charging higher rates of interest

missphysique67

Hi, new to this malarkey and my query actually relates to a predicament my friend finds herself in. She owns a rural pub. It was closed in Nov 2019 as not financially viable. It has been on the market ever since with little interest. Whilst it was open she qualified for small business relief and she did not have to pay the £7K business rates. Once it closed (and left her in dire straits!) the rates became payable. Then the Gov announced business rates were suspended due to Covid 19. She received a renewed "£0" invoice from the Council. 
However, they have now changed their minds and said the rates are due after all, as the pub was already closed. Her argument is, but she would have had to close the pub regardless so why should she pay still? Any thoughts???

dunstonh

missphysique67 said:

Hi, new to this malarkey and my query actually relates to a predicament my friend finds herself in. She owns a rural pub. It was closed in Nov 2019 as not financially viable. It has been on the market ever since with little interest. Whilst it was open she qualified for small business relief and she did not have to pay the £7K business rates. Once it closed (and left her in dire straits!) the rates became payable. Then the Gov announced business rates were suspended due to Covid 19. She received a renewed "£0" invoice from the Council. 
However, they have now changed their minds and said the rates are due after all, as the pub was already closed. Her argument is, but she would have had to close the pub regardless so why should she pay still? Any thoughts???

The money from taxpayers is to help support businesses that would not have ordinarily failed as a result of the CV.   As she shut months before this, there is no business to support.  Hence why she does not get the taxpayer support.  She is not excluded as she was never meant to be included.

Grumpy_chap

It is an outrage - I had a company that I closed about 18 years ago.  Got no help whatsoever. 😊

In fairness, though the pub closed so getting no assistance, what was the owner going to do for income after closing the pub?  There may be something available there.

Tammykitty

Grumpy_chap said:

It is an outrage - I had a company that I closed about 18 years ago.  Got no help whatsoever. 😊

In fairness, though the pub closed so getting no assistance, what was the owner going to do for income after closing the pub?  There may be something available there.

The pub is up for sale - and the property market effectively closed down for 3 months - so she should at least be entitled to an additional 3 months relief.
In all honesty though - who is going to buy a pub during this - the pub didn't sell in 3 months pre covid lockdown, that's not too long, an won't sell now as no-one will want it - so the losses she is suffering are a result of the covid lockdown and restrictions, so she should qualify for help (but there are lots of people who should qualify for help and don't).

I have a house I moved out of just before lockdown, and was in the process of clearing it out, - and was planning to do a bit of work to it, had a contractor sourced etc and then rent or sell - but well for 4 months, it was empty and I still had to pay the rates on it, despite not being allowed to travel to it to use it myself, finally got it cleared out last week - and now planning on renting it without the work getting done - and just getting a bit less for it. Government help can't cover every scenario.

Jeremy535897

There will be many pubs for sale, and for a long time. An empty pub is not a business, and so qualifies for no grants, and rates are chargeable on empty properties. If the pub is not the last one in the locality, your friend may be wise to look for advice on how to get planning permission for a change of use.

So far as your property is concerned, there are councils who offer some council tax reduction for properties that are temporarily unoccupied. To be able to let it, the property will have to be in a satisfactory state of repair, have gas and electricity safety certificates, and reach a minimum EPC level of E.

Tammykitty

Jeremy535897 said:

There will be many pubs for sale, and for a long time. An empty pub is not a business, and so qualifies for no grants, and rates are chargeable on empty properties. If the pub is not the last one in the locality, your friend may be wise to look for advice on how to get planning permission for a change of use.

So far as your property is concerned, there are councils who offer some council tax reduction for properties that are temporarily unoccupied. To be able to let it, the property will have to be in a satisfactory state of repair, have gas and electricity safety certificates, and reach a minimum EPC level of E.

There is a different between a pub that has been for sale for 3 months over winter, which would be expected to sell in spring/summer, and one that has been for sale for a year +. 

I am aware of the rules around renting - thanks - it is already in a satisfactory repair, and doesn't have gas, and my husband is doing the electrical inspection just before we rent it out (He did one a few years ago, and doesn't expect any major problems), The work was not actually essential, just would have increased the value and made it more desirable!

Thrugelmir

Tammykitty said:

Jeremy535897 said:

There will be many pubs for sale, and for a long time. An empty pub is not a business, and so qualifies for no grants, and rates are chargeable on empty properties. If the pub is not the last one in the locality, your friend may be wise to look for advice on how to get planning permission for a change of use.

So far as your property is concerned, there are councils who offer some council tax reduction for properties that are temporarily unoccupied. To be able to let it, the property will have to be in a satisfactory state of repair, have gas and electricity safety certificates, and reach a minimum EPC level of E.

There is a different between a pub that has been for sale for 3 months over winter, which would be expected to sell in spring/summer, and one that has been for sale for a year +. 

A closed pub isn't an attractive business proposition. Better to sell while it is at least trading. To stand any chance of survival. 

12prosser

“EXTEND the GRANTS to all the INELIGIBLE SELF EMPLOYED left behind”.