Posted by Tony Pratt 1 on 22/04/2020 13:48:40:
Posted by blowlamp on 22/04/2020 11:48:12:
Yes, it's part of the economic meltdown that's happening whilst the world's in lockdown. 
Forgot to mention: Councils are now dishing out money like confetti. A one-man business owner I know has just recieved £10000.00 straight into his bank account with almost no questions asked and no restriction as to how he should spend it. You do need to confirm you aren't a criminal though.
Edited By blowlamp on 22/04/2020 12:17:17
What exact council is that?
Tony
Sounds like a Small Business Cash Grant, which is Central Government funded but administered by Local Government because eligibility requires applicants to be already receiving Small Business Rates Relief and having a rateable value less than £15,000. Read all about it here.
Interestingly, despite Brexit, the grant is still subject to EU de minimus aid rules, which apply a cap and time limits. This because we're in the interesting position of having left the EU without leaving the EU…
The Grant is part of the government's Coronavirus support effort. Its rules say 'Local Authorities should make payments as quickly as possible to support struggling businesses.' The possibility of fraud is recognised: in the event naughtiness is detected, HRMC have considerable 'claw back' powers. They can recover the money and the full cost of doing so, which can be considerably more than the original grant. No doubt there will be some fraud, for the reduction of future bother, let's hope it's tiny.
Dave