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Eligible businesses urged to apply for COVID-19 support fund before it closes

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Companies in St Albans District that have been affected by COVID-19 have only weeks left to apply for business rate relief of up to 50%.

St Albans City and District Council is administering the Government’s COVID Additional Relief Fund which was launched earlier this year.

The fund offers financial help to businesses that have not previously qualified for assistance in paying their business rates.

This means that firms that have received a business rate rebate under a retail scheme – including shops, pubs and restaurants – are not able to apply.

Many other businesses in the District are eligible for the discretionary fund, though, including those that operate from offices, warehouses and factories.

The Council may offer them business rate relief of up to 50% of their net liability for the 2021/22 financial year.

Businesses cannot make applications for an empty property unless it was vacated temporarily because of Government advice on COVID.

To make an application and for further information, go to https://www.stalbans.gov.uk/covid-19-additional-relief-fund-carf.

There is no firm deadline for applications but the Council has to make final decisions on them by Friday 30 September, so businesses which may be eligible should make a claim without delay.

Councillor Paul De Kort, Vice-Chair of the Policy Committee, said:

We would urge any business within the District that believes it may be eligible to check out the criteria on our website.

We first informed local businesses in April about this opportunity and a number have already taken advantage of this fund.

However, we believe there are a lot of businesses out there that are eligible and have yet to apply and we are encouraging them to come forward. The fund will be closing in a few weeks, so potential applicants should act now.

We will get the rate relief to those that qualify as quickly as possible as has been the case with the £50 million that we have distributed to organisations within the District from other COVID funds.

Photo by Tran Mau Tri Tam ✪ on Unsplash

Contact for the media: John McJannet, Principal Communications Officer: 01727-819533,  john.mcjannet@stalbans.gov.uk.