Grant through the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme
Who can claim?
To be eligible for the third grant you must be a self-employed individual or a member of a partnership. You cannot claim the grant if you trade through a limited company or a trust.
If you claim Maternity Allowance this will not affect your eligibility for the grant.
You must have traded in both tax years:
- 2018 to 2019 and submitted your Self-Assessment tax return on or before 23 April 2020 for that year
- 2019 to 2020
You must either:
- be currently trading but are impacted by reduced demanddue to coronavirus
- have been trading but are temporarily unable to do sodue to coronavirus
You must also declare that:
- you intend to continue to trade
- you reasonably believe there will be a significant reduction in your trading profits
How we work out the amount of the third grant
This is an example of how we will work out how much grant you’ll get if your average trading profits were £42,000 over the last 3 tax years.
If you’re eligible, you’ll receive a grant worth of 80% paid out in a single instalment covering 3 months’ worth of profits, and capped at £7,500 in total.
Example
- Start with your average trading profit (£42,000).
- Divide by 12 = £3,500.
- Multiply by 3 = £10,500.
- Work out 80% of £10,500 = £8,400. You will only receive £7,500 due to the cap.
Further support
There will be a fourth grant covering February 2021 to April 2021. Details about the fourth grant will be announced on 3 March 2021.
Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme has been extended until 30 April 2021.
You can no longer submit claims for claim periods ending on or before 31 October 2020.
For the period 1 November 2020 to 30 April 2021 the government grant will cover the full 80% of wages. Employers will not be required to contribute or top-up for the hours not worked. You will still need to pay employer National Insurance contributions and employer pension contributions, you cannot claim for these.
You can choose to top up your employees’ wages above the minimum 80% furlough pay amount but you do not have to. Employees must not work or provide any services for the business during hours which they are recorded as being on furlough, even if they receive a top-up wage.
How to claim
You’ll need the Government Gateway user ID and password you got when you registered for PAYE online.
You can claim before, during or after you process your payroll as long as your claim is submitted by the relevant claim deadline. You cannot submit your claim more than 14 days before your claim period end date.
When making your claim:
- you do not have to wait until the end date of the claim period for a previous claim before making your next claim
- you can make your claim more than 14 days in advance of the pay date (for example, if you pay your employee in arrears)
If you do not finish your claim in one session, you can save a draft. You must complete your claim within seven days of starting it.
Claims must be submitted by 11.59pm 14 calendar days after the month you’re claiming for. If this time falls on the weekend or a bank holiday then claims should be submitted on the next working day.
| Claim for furlough days in | Claim must be submitted by |
| November 2020 | 14 December 2020 |
| December 2020 | 14 January 2021 |
| January 2021 | 15 February 2021 |
| February 2021 | 15 March 2021 |
| March 2021 | 14 April 2021 |
| April 2021 | 14 May 2021 |
If you want to delete a claim in the online service, you must do this within 72 hours of starting it.
Bounce Back Loan
Eligibility
You can apply for a loan if your business:
- is based in the UK
- was established before 1 March 2020
- has been adversely impacted by the coronavirus
If your business was classed as a business in difficulty on 31 December 2019 you’ll need to confirm that you’re complying with additional state aid restrictions.
Who cannot apply?
Businesses from any sector can apply, except:
- banks, insurers and reinsurers (but not insurance brokers)
- public-sector bodies
- state-funded primary and secondary schools
If you’re already claiming funding
You cannot apply if you’re already claiming under:
- Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS)
- Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS)
- COVID-19 Corporate Financing Facility
If you’ve already received a loan of up to £50,000 under one of these schemes you can transfer it into the Bounce Back Loan scheme. You have until 31 March 2021 to arrange this with your lender.
How long the loan is for
The length of the loan is 6 years, but you can repay early without paying a fee. No repayments will be due during the first 12 months.
Before your first repayment is due, your lender will contact you about further options to:
- extend the term of your loan to 10 years
- move to interest-only repayments for a period of 6 months (you can use this option up to 3 times)
- pause your repayments for a period of 6 months if you have already made at least 6 repayments (you can use this option once)
How to apply
There are 29 lenders participating in the scheme including many of the main retail banks. You should approach a suitable lender yourself via the lender’s website.
The lender will ask you to fill in a short online application form and self-declare that you are eligible.
The lender will decide whether to offer you a loan or another type of finance and you’ll be responsible for repaying 100% of the amount borrowed.
Business Rates Relief
Check if your retail, hospitality or leisure business is eligible for business rates relief due to coronavirus (COVID-19).
Businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors in England will not have to pay business rates for the 2020 to 2021 tax year.
Eligibility
You’re eligible if your property is a:
- shop
- restaurant, café, bar or pub
- cinema or live music venue
- assembly or leisure property – for example, a sports club, a gym or a spa
- hospitality property – for example, a hotel, a guest house or self-catering accommodation
How to apply
You do not need to take any action. Your local council will apply the discount automatically.
You can estimate the business rate relief using the business rates calculator.
Contact your local council if you’re not getting a relief you think you’re entitled to.
When it applies
The relief will apply to your business rates bills for the 2020 to 2021 tax year. Your local council may have to reissue your bill, but will do this as soon as possible.
Apply for the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme
The scheme helps small and medium-sized businesses to access loans and other kinds of finance up to £5 million.
The government guarantees 80% of the finance to the lender and pays interest and any fees for the first 12 months.
The scheme is open until 31 March 2021.
Eligibility
You can apply for a loan if your business:
- is based in the UK
- has an annual turnover of up to £45 million?
You need to show that your business:
- would be viable were it not for the pandemic
- has been adversely impacted by the coronavirus
If you want to borrow £30,000 or more, you also need to confirm that your business wasn’t classed as a business in difficulty on 31 December 2019.
Who cannot apply?
Businesses from any sector can apply, except:
- banks, insurers and reinsurers (but not insurance brokers)
- public-sector bodies
- state-funded primary and secondary schools
How long the loan is for
The maximum length of the facility depends on the type of finance you apply for and will be:
- up to 3 years for overdrafts and invoice finance facilities
- up to 6 years, for loans and asset finance facilities
How to apply
There are 117 lenders participating in the scheme including all the main retail banks. You should approach a suitable lender yourself via the lender’s website.
You’ll need to tell the lender:
- the amount you’d like to borrow
- what the money is for
- how long you’d like to pay it back
Supporting documents
You’ll need to provide documents that show you can afford to repay the loan.
These may include:
- management accounts
- cash flow forecast
- business plan
- historic accounts
- details of assets
The documents required will vary from lender to lender and depend on how much you’re asking for. If you’re asking your existing lender for a small loan, the process may be automated and not require all of the documents.
The lender will check that the loan is:
- for a suitable business purpose
- affordable for you
- the right type of finance for your needs
The lender will decide whether to offer you a loan or another type of finance and you’ll be responsible for repaying 100% of the amount borrowed.
Council Grant payments
The following grants are available:
- Local Restrictions Support Grant (Open)
- Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed)
- Local Restrictions Support Grant (Sector)
- Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG)
- Christmas Support Payment for wet-led pubs
- One-off grant payments to hospitality and leisure businesses
- Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed) Tier 4
- Business support package for January lockdown
- Closed businesses lockdown payment (CBLP)
In order to simplify the process for applicants, we will be using one application form which will include questions relevant to all grants. This information will then be used to determine what grant(s) businesses are eligible to receive.
Businesses will need to register for a BRUM account to apply for a grant, Create an account if you don’t already have one.
If you already have a BRUM account, you don’t need to register again or change it to your business address. You can still apply for a grant and as you go through the form it will capture your business address.
You can use either your personal email address or your business address.
The name of your business may not appear in the look up and so please use your postal address to search when creating a BRUM account.
When registering for a BRUM account, you will be sent an email to validate your email address and so remember to check your SPAM or Junk folders.
For more information please click on the link below:
https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/info/50232/support_for_businesses_during_the_coronavirus_covid-19/2270/local_restrictions_support_grants_lrsg_and_additional_restrictions_grant_arg