East Suffolk Council is now processing the payment of grants for Felixstowe businesses provided by the Government in a response to new national Covid-19 restrictions.

A new one-off grant is available to businesses that have been asked to close in line with the new national restrictions which came into place on 5 January 2021.

The one-off top ups will grant £4,000 for businesses with a rateable value of under £15,000, £6,000 for businesses with a rateable value between £15,000 and £51,000 and £9,000 for businesses with a rateable value of over £51,000.

This comes in addition to the Local Restrictions Support Grants (LRSG), which have been available since the national lockdown in November 2020, and the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG), which is available for those businesses who may fall outside the eligibility of the LRSG scheme.

Furthermore, the Christmas Support Payment, consisting of a one-off payment of £1,000, is available for wet-led pubs that have been severely impacted over the Christmas period due to temporary local restrictions.

The Council will automatically make payments of all business grants to eligible businesses based on a successful LRSG or ARG application, including the new one-off payment and any subsequent additional support payments

Therefore, you do not need to do anything if you have already successfully applied for the LRSG or ARG grant. However, if you haven't yet, we're encouraging eligible businesses to apply now.

Cllr Craig Rivett, Cabinet Member for Economic Development, said: "We have a responsibility to support our businesses through these difficult times and ensure they can access this vital financial support quickly and easily as they continue to deal with the impact of Covid-19.

"These grants are not loans that will need to be paid back, and they can make the difference between a business closing or surviving. We want our businesses to come out the other end in the strongest possible position to recover, so therefore, I urge all businesses who haven't yet, to check if they're eligible for these grants. Even if you're not sure, it is worth checking."

See more details on all available business grants, including the online form and full details about how to apply with full eligibility or more information about the help and advice available for businesses.