| answer text |
<p>The Government is acutely aware of the extreme disruption to people’s lives, jobs,
and businesses due to the necessary actions to tackle COVID-19.</p><p> </p><p>This
is why we announced the Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed) scheme, which will
provide businesses in England which are legally required to close with grants of up
to £3,000 per four-week closure period, depending on their rateable value.</p><p>
</p><p>Through the Local Restrictions Support Grant (Open), local authorities which
were subject to restrictions on socialising between 1 August and 5 November will also
receive additional funding so that they can make grants of up to £2,100 per month
of closures to hospitality, leisure and accommodation businesses which were able to
remain open but which experienced a severe reduction in demand due to restrictions
on socialising.</p><p> </p><p>On top of this, we have provided Local Authorities with
a further £1.1 billion across England via the Additional Restrictions Grant. Local
Authorities have discretion on how to use this funding to support businesses in their
areas, but we encourage them to set up discretionary grant schemes to support businesses
which can remain open, but which are nonetheless severely affected by the enhanced
COVID-19 restrictions.</p><p> </p><p>Businesses across the country should also be
able to benefit from others measures in the Government’s unprecedented package of
support for businesses, including:</p><p> </p><ul><li>The extension to 31 March of
the CJRS, through which employees will receive up to 80% of their usual salary for
hours not worked up to a maximum of £2,500 per month;</li><li>Support for the self-employed
via the SEISS, which will provide the self-employed with grants worth up to 80% of
trading profits, covering November to January;</li><li>The extension of the application
deadline for loan guarantee schemes to the end of January 2021;</li><li>An adjustment
to the Bounce Back Loan Scheme rules to allow those businesses who have borrowed less
than their maximum (i.e. less than 25% of their turnover) to top-up their existing
loan; and</li><li>Help for businesses in repaying loans from Government-backed schemes
through the Pay as you Grow scheme and allowing lenders to extend the terms of CBILS
loans to up to 10 years.</li></ul>
|
|
