Millions more to be claimed for Leeds businesses, figures show

Documents made public via Leeds City Council on the Datamill North Website claim that there were more than 3,000 businesses eligible for a grant of at least £10,000 – but that had not yet claimed by April 28.

The council is expected to discuss the issue at a meeting of its executive board next week, as it continues responding to the gradual relaxation of the government’s lockdown rules.

The document claimed that, of the 10,634 businesses eligible for the smaller £10,000 grant, only 7,068 had been paid – meaning a total of £35,660,000 was still to be paid.

Of the 1,554 eligible for the bigger £25,000 grants, only 1,443 had been paid – meaning £2,775,000 was left unpaid.

According to guidance which came with the document, business properties with a rateable value of £15,000 or less will get a grant of £10,000. Those valued between £15,001 and £51,000 would be eligible for a grant of £25,000.

The council claimed that updated figures would be discussed at a meeting of the authority’s executive board on Tuesday, May 19, but the details have not yet been published.

Other financial help businesses are able to access includes the national job retention scheme, in which businesses can claim for 80 percent of their employees’ wages plus any employer National Insurance and pension contributions, if said employees have been put on furlough because of Covid-19.

Those who are self-employed or a member of a partnership could also apply to the government for an employment support grant.

Speaking when the support for businesses was first announced last month, council leader Judith Blake said: “We know that many businesses are faced with significant uncertainty at the moment and may be struggling financially during these unprecedented times.

“We want to reassure them that we are working hard to play our part. Being a large local authority in a vibrant city, we know there are thousands of businesses eligible for the cash grants. We are working as quickly as possible to process them in order to further ease the financial difficulties faced by businesses but please bear with us at what is an extremely busy time.”

For more information on government financial support for businesses during the Covid-19 lockdown, visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/financial-support-for-businesses-during-coronavirus-covid-19.