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<p>During this difficult time for the country, I absolutely recognise the extreme
disruption to people’s lives, jobs, and businesses due to the necessary actions to
tackle COVID-19. This includes those in the wholesale sector who play a critical role
in supporting our food supply chain.</p><p>The Government recognises that businesses
which are legally required to close due to national or local restrictions will need
additional support. This is why we have 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>For businesses which are not legally closed, but which are nonetheless
severely impacted by local or national restrictions, we have provided Local Authorities
with a further £1.1billion across England via the Additional Restrictions Grant.</p><p>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
such as wholesalers which can remain open, but which are nonetheless severely affected
by the enhanced COVID-19 restrictions.</p><p>Businesses across the country, including
wholesale distributors, should also be able to benefit from others measures in the
Government’s unprecedented package of support for businesses, including:</p><p>• 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; <br>•
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; <br>•
The extension of the application deadline for loan guarantee schemes to the end of
January 2021; <br>• 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 <br>• 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.</p>
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