Local Restrictions Support Grant (businesses that are required to close)

Your business may be eligible if it:

• occupies property on which it pays business rates to Lancaster City Council (if you are in receipt of business rates relief you are also eligible)
• was required to close on or after Saturday 17 October 2020 due to Lancashire-wide Tier 3 restrictions. Retrospective funding is not available before this date
• has been subject to national restrictions since 23 March 2020 and as such has never been allowed to reopen e.g. nightclubs, sexual entertainment venues
• has been required to close because of the national restrictions that resulted in a first full day of closure on Thursday 5 November 2020 or Tier 4/national restrictions that resulted in closure on 31 December 2020 or 5 January 2021
• has been unable to provide its usual in-person customer service from its premises e.g. a restaurant that has had to close its substantive business, but is providing a takeaway service, is deemed to be closed

The government has published guidance on the requirement to close premises and businesses (PDF).

Businesses that have substantially altered their business model in order to trade should enquire with Business Support at business.support@lancaster.gov.uk as to whether their original business model remains their substantive business.

Your business will not be eligible if it:

• has been able to continue to operate during the lockdown because it does not depend on providing direct in-person services from its premises
• has chosen to close
• has reached the subsidy award limit (previously State Aid). These grants count towards subsidy awards as set out in the Trade and Cooperation Agreement. Payments count towards the total de minimis subsidy award allowed over a three-year period of SDR 325,000 (circa £350,000).
• was in administration, insolvent or where a striking-off notice was made on the date of the first full day of the local restrictions
• is in areas outside the scope of the localised restrictions, as defined by the government

Eligible businesses will receive one grant for each property liable for business rates with Lancaster City Council.

• If your business is eligible and has a property with a rateable value of £15,000 or under, you will receive grants of £667 per two weeks of enforced closure (£1,334 per month/4 weeks)
• If your business is eligible and has a property with a rateable value of over £15,000 and less than £51,000, you will receive grants of £1,000 per two weeks of enforced closure (£2,000 per month/4 weeks)
• If your business is eligible and has a property with a rateable value of £51,000 or over, you will receive grants of £1,500 per two weeks of enforced closure (£3,000 per month/4 weeks)

Grants will be based on the rateable value of the property on the first full day of either local or national restrictions.

Lockdown Closed Grants (42 day payment)

• Businesses occupying hereditaments appearing on the local rating list with a rateable value of exactly £15,000 or under on the commencement date of the widespread national restrictions will receive a payment of £2,001 per 42-day qualifying restriction period.
• Businesses occupying hereditaments appearing on the local rating list with a rateable value over £15,000 and less than £51,000 on the commencement date of the widespread national restrictions will receive a payment of £3,000 per 42-day qualifying restriction period.
• Businesses occupying hereditaments appearing on the local rating list with a rateable value of exactly £51,000 or above on the commencement date of the widespread national restrictions will receive £4,500 per 42-day qualifying restriction period.

Closed Businesses lump sum lockdown payment

The following funding thresholds apply to the Closed Businesses Lockdown Payment:

• Businesses occupying hereditaments appearing on the local rating list with a rateable value of exactly £15,000 or under on the date of the commencement of the widespread national restrictions will receive a payment of £4,000.
• Businesses occupying hereditaments appearing on the local rating list with a rateable value over £15,000 and less than £51,000 on the date of the commencement of the widespread national restrictions will receive a payment of £6,000.
• Businesses occupying hereditaments appearing on the local rating list with a rateable value of exactly £51,000 or above on the commencement date of the widespread national restrictions, will receive £9,000.

• Eligible businesses will receive appropriate levels of funding for the period that they were mandated to close. This will be received in one or more lump sums.
• Businesses will be paid a pro-rata for the 5 days that Lancashire was in Tier 4.
• Eligible businesses will receive funding retrospectively for the time period that they were mandated to close
• Businesses eligible for the 42 day Closed lockdown payment from 5 January must apply by 31 March 2021.
• Businesses that have not been allowed to re-open since 23 March, e.g. nightclubs, will only be paid from 1 November 2020
• No business will be paid before 17 October 2020

Businesses subject to mandated closure must have been closed for the entirety of the two-week payment cycle.

Until 15 February any further payments due may be automatically generated for the majority of businesses still forced to close, however if further information is required then businesses will be contacted.

• Business Rates number

• One of the following:

  • Company Reference Number (CRN) - preferred
  • VAT Registration Number
  • Self-Assessment/Partnership Number
  • National Insurance Number
  • Unique Taxpayer Reference
  • Registered Charity Number

• Number of employees

  • 0-9 / 10-49 / 50-249 / 250+

• Bank details and most recent bank statement (for uploading)