Highland Council making good progress on Covid-19 hardship grants
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Highland Council says it has been making good progress with paying out grants on behalf of the Scottish Government’s Covid-19 Business Hardship Fund.
Since applications opened October 20, a total of 262 grants to Highland businesses have been approved and any new applications are being processed on the day they are received.
The original grant values of £1000 and £1500 were increased to £1440 and £2155 respectively to reflect the extension to the restriction period and the council has automatically paid the new, higher amount to all applicants to avoid the need for businesses to make multiple applications.
Councillor Trish Robertson, chairwoman of the economy and infrastructure committee, said: “Despite the good progress to date we are aware that many Highland businesses that are eligible to receive this grant have still not applied. We urgently ask that get their application in as soon as possible to us, as the scheme closes to new applications at 5pm on Tuesday, November 3.”
Businesses are asked to go to the Covid-19 Business Grant page on the council’s website and check to ensure that they meet the full range of eligibility criteria. Eligible businesses are then asked to complete the online application form accurately and in full while ensuring that they submit the specified evidence.
If businesses get completed applications to us with the right evidence, they will receive the grant in their bank account within days.
Businesses eligible for the grant are those that have been obliged by law to close or restrict their opening hours or operating practice directly because of the restrictions introduced on October 9. Essentially this applies to licensed premises such as hotels, restaurants, pubs and some cafés.
A further element of the scheme is designed to support local producer/wholesale businesses that supply primarily short-life goods or produce to the businesses which have been required by the regulations to close or operate in a restricted way and can evidence a 25 per cent reduction in turnover during the brake period.
More information is available here .
