Stockport Council urges businesses affected by the pandemic to apply for Covid Additional Relief Fund

Stockport Council is encouraging businesses affected by the pandemic and which have been unable to access support linked to business rates to make an application to the Covid Additional Relief Fund (CARF) before 15th April.

The government funding allows businesses affected by the Covid-19 pandemic who have not been eligible to claim financial support through previous government grant schemes to access a final tranche of support.

Your business may be eligible for support if they can demonstrate that they’ve been adversely affected by the pandemic and have not been able to adapt and should provide evidence with the application to show proof of lost revenue, increased costs, cashflow problems or missed financial projections.

Unlike other schemes that have offered a cash grant, the relief will be used to reduce your business rates payable in the financial year 2021 to 2022. If your bill is zero because you receive a discount or relief, you will not be eligible. Should the council award the relief and this takes your business rates account into credit for 2021 to 2022, it may use this credit to reduce any other business rates liability or move the credit to the bill for the financial year 2022 to 2023. Alternatively, they may be able to refund the relief given to the business.

For further details about the fund and eligibility criteria, and details about how to claim please visit the Stockport Council website.

Please note that the window for applications has been extended. Applications should be received by 15th April 2022.