Coronavirus - Support for Sheffield businesses

We're available to help businesses navigate their way through the available support.
If you have any concerns contact our team of advisors:

•  telephone 0114 224 5000 or
•  email businesssheffield@sheffield.gov.uk

Latest government guidance

Grants

Essential Open Business Support Grant 

A grant for businesses with fixed costs that are allowed to stay open under the 5 January 2021 National Lockdown. The primary activity of the business must the sale of goods and services on a face to face basis.

No Fixed Property Costs Discretionary Business Grant

A grant for businesses with no fixed property costs. They must operate in, or supply to, a sector forced to close since 14 Oct 2020.

Low Fixed Property Costs Discretionary Business Grant

A grant for businesses without a business rates account that have fixed property costs of £1,500 or less. They must operate in, or supply to, a sector forced to close since 14 Oct 2020.

Discretionary Lockdown Business Support Grant (non rate payers)

A grant for businesses:

• not registered for business rates 
• forced to close under tier 3 restrictions or national lockdown

Lockdown Business Support Grant (rate payers)

A grant for businesses:

• registered for business rates
• forced to close under tier 3 restrictions or national lockdown

Supply Chain Business Support Grant

A grant for Sheffield businesses:

• whose main activity is in the supply industry
  
• who supply hospitality, accommodation, leisure or entertainment sectors with goods or services.

Taxi Business Support Grant 

A grant for taxi drivers licenced by us, working up to and including 13 October 2020. To qualify they must live in South Yorkshire or bordering areas.

Loans

Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme

You are eligible for a loan if your business:

• is based in the UK
• and has a turnover of no more than £45 million per year
• and meets the British Business Bank eligibility criteria

To apply for a loan you should contact your business bank.

Coronavirus Bounce Back Loan Scheme

Helps small and medium-sized businesses to borrow between £2,000 and £50,000.

• no fees or interest to pay for the first 12 months
• loan terms up to 6 years

You cannot apply if you’re already claiming under the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS).

If you’ve already received a loan of up to £50,000 under CBILS and would like to transfer it into the Bounce Back Loan scheme, you can arrange this with your lender until 4 November 2020

The scheme ends on 31 January 2021.

Rent relief for council business and community tenants

We're providing the following support for council business renters during the pandemic:

Arrears enforcement

• we have suspended enforcement action for arrears under 90 days until 23 August 2020

Exclusions

Action is delegated to the Chief Property Officer on a case by case basis for:

• Ground rents, 
• Agricultural rents, 
• Telecoms rents and payments
• and any other property type not covered above

Service charges

• will be reduced for tenants where possible to reflect reduced costs of operating buildings (eg due to business closures)
• service charges need to be paid in full unless a deferral is specifically authorised by the Chief Property Officer

We will assess each application on an individual basis, taking into account:

• the type of business and its circumstances
• whether it has been told to close by the Government
• if it is affected by any general restrictions on businesses or movement.

Council tenants of commercial retail, food and beverage and leisure premises

• Rents & Service Charges will be deferred until 29 September 2020 (ie the June quarter for rent)
• all deferrals will be subject to application and assessment

Council tenants of commercial industrial, office and workshop premises

• rent and service charges can be deferred until 29 September 2020 (ie the June quarter for rent)
• all deferrals will be subject to application and assessment

Voluntary/community groups on leases, tenancies or licences with the council

•  a further period of rent suspension to 29 September 2020 (ie the June quarter for rent)

Support measures

Business rates holiday

Businesses entitled to a rate holiday are:

• any property in the retail, hospitality or leisure sector
• Ofsted registered nurseries 

Many businesses will have no rates to pay in 2020/21

For those businesses with a charge to pay:

• we suspended direct debits from April to June
• direct debits began again on 1 July
• For payment advice contact BusinessRatesPayment@Sheffield.gov.uk

For business rates advice contact business.rates@sheffield.gov.uk.

Charities support

The Charity Commission has produced advice for the charity sector.

Applications to the Coronavirus Community Support Fund are now closed but the National Lottery Community Fund is continuing to fund projects and organisations supporting communities through the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Income tax deferral

Income tax self-assessment payments due on 31 July 2020 have been deferred until 31 Jan 2021

Self-employed people

You may be able to claim against the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme if you:

• are self employed or a member of a partnership
• and adversely affected by covid-19 on or after 14 July 2020

There are two rounds of grants available to cover:

• November 2020 to January 2021
• February 2021 to April 2021
  

You will be able to apply for from 30 November 2020.

Statutory Sick Pay Relief

Changes have been made to Statutory Sick Pay so that people suffering from coronavirus can take the necessary time off to stay at home or to prevent it's spread:

• employers with fewer than 250 employees will be able to reclaim Statutory Sick Pay for employees unable to work because of coronavirus
• this refund will be for up to 2 weeks per employee

VAT deferral scheme

The VAT payments deferral scheme ended on 30 June 2020.

Businesses who deferred VAT due between 20 March and 20 June can now opt-in to:

• pay in smaller payments over a longer period
• take up to end of March 2022 to pay in full

 

Those that can pay their deferred VAT can do so by 31 March 2021.

If you are still unable to pay the VAT due and need more time contact the HMRC Coronavirus helpline on 0300 200 3835.