BUSINESSES AND PREMISES THAT MUST REMAIN CLOSED - Great ...
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28 April 2020
Please note that this document is updated regularly. This version was produced on the date indicated, above.
Please do not distribute or save it. Always visit www.great-yarmouth.gov.uk/coronavirus-business-support
to download the latest version.
We have made every attempt to ensure the accuracy of the information provided, above. It is provided on an “as is”
basis and will be regularly updated as and when new information or clarifications are available.
1. BUSINESSES AND PREMISES THAT MUST REMAIN CLOSED
1.1. Does my business need to close to reduce the spread of the Coronavirus?
1.1.1. The Government has published a list of businesses, premises and other venues that must not open for
trade. It will look again at these measures in 3 weeks from 23 March 2020 and relax them if the evidence
shows that this is possible: https://bit.ly/2xpnQQ9.
1.1.2. The Government has extended the law and enforcement powers to include the following businesses:
https://bit.ly/3aomDr5. Takeaway and delivery facilities should remain open and operational.
1.1.3. Planning rules are to be relaxed so that pubs and restaurants can temporarily operate as takeaways
during the coronavirus outbreak. The 12-month Permitted Development right (PDR) will apply to offsite
consumption of hot food and drinks only, outside of the hours 23:00-05:00. To give greater flexibility, the
PDR is also expected to cover cold and pre-prepared food and will allow for delivery. Interested
establishments should email plan@great-yarmouth.gov.uk, stating the proposed start and end dates of
their takeaway service, along with establishment name, address, contact name/number/email and a note
will be added to their file. Further information from the Food Standards Agency will follow soon.
1.1.4. Many people working in construction need to travel to their place of work, and the Government has said
that they can continue to do so. The Construction Leadership Council has developed Site Operating
Procedures (SOPs), which align with the latest guidance from Public Health England. Further information
is available at: https://bit.ly/2w63ISN.
1.1.5. The Government has also announced a temporary relaxation of the enforcement of the drivers’ hours
rules in relation to the delivery of essential items to retailers. Guidance on the temporary relaxation of
the enforcement of EU and GB drivers’ hours rules has been published. Further information is available at:
https://bit.ly/2JSknwm.
2. SOURCES OF ADVICE
2.1. What support is available for businesses?
2.1.1. The Government has compiled guidance and advice for employers and businesses on the Coronavirus at:
https://bit.ly/2vN4TGK. This also includes updated guidance on social distancing in the workplace.
2.1.2. Industry-specific guidance has also been published for shops running a pick-up or delivery service,
tradespeople and working in people’s homes, construction, manufacturing and processing businesses,
retail, logistics businesses, outdoor businesses, farm visiting for animal health and welfare, fishing or
other short-term offshore work, cargo-shipping or other long-term offshore work, transport businesses
and waste management businesses. Further information is available at: https://bit.ly/39TGEo7.
2.1.3. A new Government hub has brought together information for people using transport or working in the
transport sector. Further information is available at: https://bit.ly/34kw48J.2.1.4. The Government has set out guidance for apprentices, employers, training providers and assessment
organisations in response to the impact of the Coronavirus. Further information is available at:
https://bit.ly/3c1P91T.
2.1.5. The Great Yarmouth Business Support Line can be contacted on Freephone 0808 196 2240.
2.1.6. The New Anglia Growth Hub team can advise local businesses via www.newangliagrowthhub.co.uk or
0300 333 6536.
2.2. Where can charities and not-for-profits go for help and support?
2.2.1. PLEASE NOTE: On 8 April, the Government announced a £750m package to keep struggling charities
afloat during the Coronavirus pandemic.
2.2.2. £360m will be directly allocated by government departments to charities providing key services and
supporting vulnerable people during the crisis. £370m will also be allocated for small and medium-sized
charities, including through a grant to the National Lottery Community Fund. The application system for
the National Lottery Community Fund grant pot is expected to be operational in the coming weeks.
Further details about the announcement are available at: https://bit.ly/2UTwpMk.
2.2.3. The Charity Excellence Framework also publishes a downloadable list of 250+ Coronavirus-related funding
schemes for charities, CICs and non-profits – including private sector foundations and bodies, such as the
National Lottery. Further information is available in the Funder & Response Toolkits section at:
https://charityexcellence.co.uk.
2.2.4. The GrantFinder portal also provides a rolling newsfeed of Coronavirus-related grant and funding
schemes. Further information is available at: https://grantfinder.co.uk/coronavirus.
2.3. Where can I go for free and impartial advice as an employee?
2.3.1. The Government has compiled guidance and advice for employees at: https://bit.ly/2JbgOkw. This
includes information on staying at home, sick pay, furloughed workers and claiming benefits.
2.3.2. The Government has also published guidance about the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme for employees.
Please refer to Section 5.4.
2.3.3. Further information about lay-offs and short-time working is available at: https://bit.ly/2XdgWs1.
3. BUSINESS RATES
3.1. Who qualifies for the Business Rates Holiday?
3.1.1. Premises which currently qualify for the Retail Discount will pay no business rates this year.
3.1.2. The Retail Discount has been expanded to include all shops, pubs, theatres, music venues, restaurants and
any other business in the retail, hospitality or leisure sector plus nurseries (the Government has
announced new financial support for education, early years and children’s social care at:
https://bit.ly/351bpXH).
3.1.3. PLEASE NOTE: There is no action required for eligible businesses. Guidance is being issued to the
Council and it will act quickly to communicate directly with ratepayers and process billing or re-billing,
where applicable.
3.1.4. Further information is available at: https://bit.ly/3e7BI2n.
4. GRANTS
4.1. Are there any grants for retailers and restaurants, cafés and leisure businesses?
4.1.1. The Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund (RHLGF) will provide businesses in the retail, hospitality and
leisure sectors with a cash grant of up to £25,000 per property.
4.1.2. These businesses with a rateable value of up to and including £15,000 will receive a grant of £10,000.
Those businesses with a rateable value of between £15,001 and less than £51,000 will receive a grant of
£25,000.
4.1.3. You will be eligible for the grant if your business is based in England and your business is in the retail,
hospitality and/or leisure sector.4.1.4. Properties that will benefit from the Fund will be occupied hereditaments (properties) that are wholly or
mainly being used as shops, restaurants, cafés, drinking establishments, cinemas or live music venues for
assembly and leisure, hotels, guest and boarding premises and self-catering accommodation.
4.1.5. PLEASE NOTE: Over 2,000 letters to relevant businesses outlining the eligibility requirements and how
to apply/claim grants were posted by the Council on Monday 30 March. Businesses are providing their
bank details and copies of relevant business rates bill(s). It’s understood that payments of nearly £24m
– bank transfers – to local ratepayers have now been authorised. Local businesses are encouraged to
check their eligibility and post for details of how to file their claim.
4.1.6. Further information about financial support for businesses is available at: https://bit.ly/2wwla38.
Guidance for businesses setting out details of the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund (RHLGF) and
Small Business Grants Fund (SBGF) is available at: https://bit.ly/2JOK4xW
4.2. Am I entitled to a Small Business Grant?
4.2.1. A one-off grant of £10,000 to support small businesses currently eligible for Small Business Rate Relief
(SBRR) or Rural Rate Relief is available.
4.2.2. To be eligible for the Small Business Grants Fund, a business must be on the rating list on 11 March 2020,
i.e. the day of the Budget announcement (this is to prevent anyone renting or acquiring a property in the
latter part of March solely to obtain the grant).
4.2.3. PLEASE NOTE: The Council has written to potentially eligible businesses. Please refer to Section 4.1.5.
4.2.4. If businesses are eligible for Small Business Grants Fund they cannot also apply to the Retail, Hospitality
and Leisure Grant Fund for the same property.
4.2.5. Guidance for businesses setting out details of the Small Business Grants Fund (SBGF) and Retail,
Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund (RHLGF) is available at: https://bit.ly/2JOK4xW.
5. OTHER BUSINESS SUPPORT
5.1. Bounce Back Loans Scheme
5.1.1. PLEASE NOTE: On 27 April, the Government announced a new 100% backed loan scheme for small
business on 27 April. Businesses will be able to borrow between £2,000 and £50,000 and access the
cash within days. The loans will be interest free for the first 12 months and businesses will be able to
apply online through a short and simple form. Further details to follow.
5.1.2. Further details about the announcement can be found at https://bit.ly/2Sf3f8R.
5.2. Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme
5.2.1. The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme has been launched by the British Business Bank to
help businesses to access bank lending and overdrafts.
5.2.2. The Government is providing 40+ accredited lenders (a list of which is published at:
https://bit.ly/3aAyfXK) with a loan guarantee on loans up to a maximum value of £5million – to improve
access to finance for small-and medium-sized businesses.
5.2.3. The Government has now extended the Scheme so that all viable small businesses affected by the
pandemic, and not just those unable to secure regular commercial financing, will now be eligible.
5.2.4. The Government has also said that it is stopping lenders from requesting personal guarantees for loans
under £250,000 and making operational changes to speed up lending approvals. It will continue to cover
the first twelve months of interest and fees.
5.2.5. Details of how smaller businesses can access the scheme are available at: https://bit.ly/3bwQaPn.
5.2.6. PLEASE NOTE: Any business interested in applying should talk to their own bank or finance provider
(not the British Business Bank) as soon as possible.
5.2.7. Please also refer to Section 7.
5.3. What other sources of finance are there for my business?
5.3.1. The Government has produced a simple online tool to help businesses find out what financial support
might be available to them. Further information is available at: https://bit.ly/3eU6g88.5.4. What support is available to help pay staff wages?
5.4.1. The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is now open for applications. Employers can claim online for a
grant of 80% of their furloughed employees’ salaries, up to a maximum of £2,500 per employee.
Businesses can check their eligibility for the scheme at: https://bit.ly/2VGd0O8.
5.4.2. Businesses should make claims to the Scheme at: https://bit.ly/34S7dJK.
5.4.3. The Government has stated that the system can process up to 450,000 applications per hour and
employers should receive the money within 6 working days of making an application. To receive payment
by 30 April, businesses will need to have completed an application by 22 April. Claimants are advised to
keep a note or print-out of their claim reference number as they won’t receive a confirmation SMS or
email.
5.4.4. HMRC has produced step-by-step guidance on how to make a claim. For further https://bit.ly/3akd3EN.
5.4.5. The Government There has also a calculator to help you work out the figures required for your claim.
Further information is available at: https://bit.ly/2zgrk8A.
5.4.6. The Chancellor has also announced one-month extension to the scheme. This means that it will now be
open until the end of June, to reflect continuing lockdown measures.
5.4.7. HMRC is holding live webinars providing an overview of the scheme to help employers and employees
deal with the economic impacts of coronavirus. Business can register for a live webinar at:
https://bit.ly/34XzqyM.
5.5. Can I furlough myself as a director and still carry out my director’s duties?
5.5.1. As office holders, salaried company directors are eligible to be furloughed and receive support through
the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme Company (see Section 5.4) directors owe duties to their company
which are set out in the Companies Act 2006. Where a company (acting through its board of directors)
considers that it is in compliance with the statutory duties of one or more of its individual salaried
directors, the board can decide that such directors should be furloughed.
5.5.2. Where furloughed directors need to carry out particular duties to fulfill the statutory obligations they owe
to their company, they may do so provided they do no more than would be judged reasonably necessary
for the purposes, such as, they should not do work of a kind they would carry out in normal circumstances
to generate commercial revenue or provides services to or on behalf of their company.
5.6. Are there any other tax reliefs?
5.6.1. Businesses and self-employed people in financial distress, and with outstanding tax liabilities, may be
eligible to receive support with their tax affairs through HMRC's Time To Pay service. Please call HMRC's
new helpline for help and advice: 0800 024 1222 or visit https://bit.ly/3b24AGN.
5.6.2. The Government has deferred Valued Added Tax (VAT) payments for 3 months. The deferral will apply
from 20 March 2020 until 30 June 2020. Businesses will not need to make a VAT payment during this
period. VAT refunds and reclaims will be paid by the Government as normal. Further information is
available at: https://bit.ly/34n3zHn.
5.7. Is there any support for businesses that are paying sick pay to employees?
5.7.1. The Government has announced that it will bring forward legislation to allow small-and medium-sized
businesses and employers to reclaim Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) paid for sickness absence due to the
Coronavirus.
5.7.2. HMRC has published guidance which includes information about who can use the scheme and the records
employers must keep. Further information is available at: https://bit.ly/3aV7NID.
5.8. What if I can’t file my accounts on time?
5.8.1. Companies House has provided guidance on what to do if you cannot file your accounts on time, how to
make an application to extend the period allowed for filing and avoid an automatic penalty. Further
information is available at: https://bit.ly/2ISWDrJ.5.9. Is there any support available for larger firms?
5.9.1. The Bank of England’s Covid Corporate Financing Facility will provide a quick and cost-effective way to
raise working capital for those large firms who need it.
5.9.2. By purchasing short-term corporate debt – known as commercial paper – the scheme provides a quick
and cost-effective way to raise working capital for companies who are fundamentally strong but are
experiencing severe disruption to cashflows, helping businesses across a range of sectors to pay wages
and suppliers.
5.9.3. The scheme is open to firms that can demonstrate that they were in sound financial health prior to the
impact of the Coronavirus. Companies who wish to use the scheme do not need to have issued
commercial paper before.
5.9.4. The eligibility criteria are contact details are set out on the Bank of England’s website at:
https://bit.ly/2xoSPf2.
6. HELP FOR THE SELF-EMPLOYED
6.1. What if I am self-employed or not eligible for Statutory Sick Pay (SSP)?
6.1.1. The new Self-employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) will support self-employed individuals
(including members of partnerships) whose income has been negatively impacted by the Coronavirus. It
will provide a grant to self-employed individuals or partnerships, worth 80% of their profits up to a cap of
£2,500 per month. Further information is available at: https://bit.ly/2QIpbbF.
6.1.2. PLEASE NOTE: HMRC will use the average profits from tax returns in 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19 to
calculate the size of the grant. The scheme will be open to those where the majority of their income
comes from self-employment and who have profits of less than £50,000. It will be open for an initial
three months with people able to make their first claim by the beginning of June and administered by
HMRC. Newer businesses that have yet to submit a self-assessment will be unable to apply for the grant
but will still be able to apply for the extended Universal Credit scheme (please see Section 6.1.6).
6.1.3. For information about HMRC's Time To Pay service, please refer to Section 5.6.1.
6.1.4. Some mortgage lenders are providing loan repayment holidays. If you're affected by Coronavirus, please
contact your provider directly.
6.1.5. If you’re self-employed, Income Tax payments due in July 2020 under the Self-Assessment system will be
deferred to January 2021. Taxpayers will be given until the end of the 2020 to 2021 tax year to pay any
liabilities that have accumulated during the deferral period. This is an automatic offer with no application
required. No penalties or interest for late payment will be charged in the deferral period. Further
information is available at: https://bit.ly/2xZokNa.
6.1.6. If you are not eligible for Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) – for example, if you are self-employed or earning below
the Lower Earnings Limit of £118 per week – and you have Coronavirus or are advised to stay at home,
you can now more easily make a claim for Universal Credit or new style Employment and Support
Allowance. If you are eligible for new style Employment and Support Allowance, it will now be payable
from Day 1 of sickness, rather than Day 8, if you have Coronavirus or are advised to stay at home. Further
information is available at: https://bit.ly/2JfBXdq.
7. SUPPORT FROM BANKS
7.1. How can my business bank help me?
7.1.1. Barclays will consider 12-month capital repayment holidays on existing loans over £25,000 and increased
overdraft facilities. You can call their dedicated helpline on 0800 1971 086.
7.1.2. RBS is offering more flexibility on business loans, including possible deferral of repayments for those in
financial difficulty. You can call 0345 600 2230.
7.1.3. NatWest has announced £5bn of working capital support and more flexibility on business loans, including
possible deferral of repayments. You can call your Relationship Manager or visit https://bit.ly/2IVxkoR.
7.1.4. The Lloyds Banking Group has said it is open to requests from small businesses for overdraft extensions
and other support on a case-by-case basis..7.1.5. Santander is encouraging business customers to talk to it directly via their local Relationship Manager or
on 0800 731 6666.
8. SUPPORT FROM INSURERS
8.1. Is my business insured against the Coronavirus?
8.1.1. Businesses are encouraged to check their business interruption insurance cover with their provider.You can also read
