Sheffield businesses hit by Covid-19 lockdown can now claim £1,500 grants - here's everything you need to know

The Local Restrictions Support Grant (LRSG) supports businesses that were open as usual, providing services in person to customers from their business premises, but which were then required to close for at least three weeks due to local lockdown restrictions imposed by government.

Applications for Sheffield businesses which are eligible are now open.

Councillor Mazher Iqbal, Cabinet Member for Business and Investment at Sheffield City Council, said: “This pandemic has been extremely difficult for businesses and we are doing all we can to support them during this period of uncertainty, particularly as Sheffield is now in the Tier 3, ‘Very High’ category.

“I want to urge all businesses eligible for these grants to apply. Alongside this, we are currently working on additional support for businesses in the city and we expect to announce further details on this shortly.”

Here are all the details.

Who can claim it

It is available to any business which: occupy a property on which it pays business rates; has been forced to close for three weeks or more due to local lockdown; has been unable to provide its usual in-person service from its premises.

This includes pubs, bars and licensed premises that do not serve substantial meals and have to close, casinos and betting shops, adult gaming centres and soft play centres.

The business must also be in a local lockdown area and have been required to close because of the formal publication of local restrictions guidance that resulted in a first full day of closure on or after 9 September.

Sheffield City Council said: “We are awaiting confirmation from government to find out if pubs, bars and licensed premises that have chosen to close, even though they serve substantial meals, can access this support and by when this decision needs to be taken.”

How much you can get

For eligible businesses with a rateable value of less than £51,000 on the first day of full lockdown restrictions, a cash grant of £1,000 for each three-week period the business is closed can be claimed.

Those with a rateable value of £51,000 or above are eligible for a cash grant of £1,500 per three-week period of closure.

If your business is eligible and has a property with a rateable value of £51,000 or above, you will receive a cash grant of £1,500 for each 3-week period your business is closed.

These grants can be extended to cover an additional three week period, meaning if the business is closed for six weeks, the amount a business gets doubles.

What if you think you are not eligible?

Local councils may at their discretion also provide £1,500 of funding for businesses that don’t pay business rates, or those that are not required to close but are able to show that they have still been severely affected.

At the moment Sheffield City Council has confirmed that it will not be making these grants available to businesses which remain open.

A council spokesperson said: “Businesses who remain open but effected by COVID-19 should not use this scheme.

"We are awaiting further detail from government on the £30m package to support the region’s wider business base. We are working on a scheme and will provide updates as soon we have clear guidance.”

You can apply for the grant here.

Sheffield City Council has also produced a guide for business in Tier 3, which can be found here.