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Havant Borough Council has paid coronavirus-related business grants to 67% of those who have told us they need our help - and is working rapidly to get the rest of the funds out as quickly as possible.
Getting these much-needed grants to businesses is a top council priority and a dedicated team is working on this so that all businesses have received our help and have the money they need from us by the end of April.
There are still some businesses who are eligible for the grants and we want to ensure that they get the help they need - so we will be making every possible effort to contact them - this will be via our website, e-newsletters, social media and where necessary we will phone them.
The grants so far have gone to 650 businesses (to a value of around £7.6million) and if you’re eligible we want to hear from you.
There are approximately 1,770 businesses in the borough that are eligible for either small business or retail, hospitality and leisure grants. We have had details from 975 businesses so far.
We know how vital these grants could be in keeping businesses going during this difficult time and it is our absolute priority to get the money out as quickly as possible.
All businesses which have applied for this grant, and met the eligibility criteria, will be paid by 30 April.
Some of the applications we have received have some outstanding queries and these businesses will be contacted by 30 April so that we can confirm their eligibility and ensure they get paid as soon as possible.
Currently we have had approximately 1,000 applications from Havant businesses and about a quarter of these have outstanding queries which we are trying to resolve.
Eligible businesses should verify their details (if they have not yet done so) at: https://www.havant.gov.uk/coronavirus-business-support
Businesses can now apply for the Coronavirus Jobs Retention Scheme through the GOV.UK website with businesses able to claim up to £2,500 a month towards the wages of staff that have been furloughed.
The scheme is currently open for the period 1 March to 30 June.
Applications can now be made through the GOV.UK website.
Apply by midnight on 22 April to ensure that you receive your first payment by 30 April.
The government has launched a business support finder to help businesses see what support is available to them.
The business support finder: www.gov.uk/business-coronavirus-support-finder
The Government has expanded its loan scheme for large businesses affected by coronavirus to cover all viable firms.
The scheme launched on Monday (20 April).
Find out more on the GOV.UK website.
If firms are able to offer help in a variety of ways, including supplying medical testing equipment, manufacturing personal protective equipment and logistics, they can give their details online. They will be asked some questions about the type of support they can give. Then they will be contacted as soon as possible if their support is needed.
To offer support from your business: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus-support-from-business
The schemes currently announced by the government will not apply to every business and every employee.
If you do not qualify, you may wish to consider applying for Universal Credit.
Please visit our Universal Credit page for more information.
These are stressful and uncertain times for local business owners and employees.
Now, more than ever, it’s important to look after our mind and body to help us deal with this.
To access tips and expert advice on managing worries surrounding coronavirus, visit everymindmatters.co.uk to take your personalised Mind Plan to look after your mental wellbeing.
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