Support for Businesses

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The Government has brought forward a package of comprehensive measures to support businesses through COVID-19.

The package has included:

  • A Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
  • Deferring VAT and Income Tax payments
  • A Statutory Sick Pay relief package for SMEs
  • A 12-month business rates holiday for all retail, hospitality, leisure and nursery businesses in England
  • Small business grant funding of £10,000 for all business in receipt of small business rate relief or rural rate relief
  • Grant funding of £25,000 for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses with property with a rateable value between £15,000 and £51,000
  • The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme offering loans of up to £5 million for SMEs through the British Business Bank. Further detail on how to apply can be found here.
  • Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS) will provide a government guarantee of 80% to enable banks to make loans of up to £25 million to firms with an annual turnover of between £45 million and £500 million
  • A new lending facility from the Bank of England to help support liquidity among larger firms, helping them bridge coronavirus disruption to their cash flows through loans
  • The HMRC Time To Pay Scheme

The Bank of England has also cut the Bank Rate to 0.1%. It has taken further measures to help ensure that this rate reduction will translate through to the real economy and that capital will be available for new lending. 

The guidance on current support available for businesses published by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy can be found here.

Further information for businesses can be found at:

See Also
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Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Understandably, lots of people have been contacting me about COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. It is important that we all continue to follow official public health guidelines and remain calm.

Coronavirus Scams

Coronavirus (COVID-19) has unfortunately been seen by some criminals as an opportunity.

Many of us are feeling more vulnerable than we normally would. Criminals are playing on this for their own financial gain.

Guidance for Employees

The government has announced a package of measures to protect jobs and incomes as part of the national effort in response to Coronavirus, COVID-19.

Guidance for the Self-Employed

Millions of people across the UK have benefited from the new coronavirus (COVID-19) Self-Employed Income Support Scheme, with those eligible receiving a cash grant worth 80% of their average monthly trading profit over the last three years, up to £2,500 per month.

Renters and landlords

In response to the financial impact of the Coronavirus  the Government announced a package of protections for renters and landlords including; 

Support for Businesses

The Government has brought forward a package of comprehensive measures to support businesses through COVID-19.

The package has included:

Supporting Those Most In Need

A huge number of people across the Two Cities have volunteered to help those in need across London. You can find out more how you can help here.

Travel Advice

The Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) has been advising British people against all non-essential travel worldwide since 17 March 2020. 

Two Cities Business Directory

Since the beginning of the pandemic, local MP Nickie Aiken has been keen to promote services and facilities available to people living in the Two Cities.

Volunteering in the Cities of London & Westminster

Hundreds have of local people have already offered their time to both Westminster City Council and the City of London Corporation to help them look after our constituency’s most vulnerable. Both authorities though are still looking for more volunteers if you would like to get involved.