What's the latest on business grants?

Braintree District Council has issued the first 1,500 grants to businesses facing financial difficulties as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic - paying out almost £17 million to struggling businesses so far.

A total of 2,557 grant application forms were sent out to businesses that met Central Government criteria. If you have been sent an application form and haven't sent it back yet, please return it as soon as you can. 

Cllr Tom Cunningham, Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Infrastructure at Braintree District Council, said: “We know that businesses are in desperate need of this cash which is why we’ve been working hard on getting this money paid out as quickly as possible."

Businesses unsure about their eligibility for these grants can contact our Economic Development team via ecodev@braintree.gov.uk for advice, help and support.

A reminder of the business support available

• Find out what financial support you can get for your business
• Find out how to claim for your employee’s wages through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
• Find out how to apply for a grant if you’re self-employed
• Sector-specific guidance for employers on social distancing is now available and can be found on this link: bit.ly/sectorsocialdist
• We have created this hub on our website which also has lots of localised business advice: www.braintree.gov.uk/coronavirus

Support with your council tax

We understand the unprecedented situation we are in is a worrying time for residents and businesses.

We are committed to doing everything we can to support you all through this period.

If you are experiencing financial problems as a result of Coronavirus (COVID-19) there are options open to you:

• If your household is on a low income, your Council Tax bill could be reduced through the Local Council Tax Support (LCTS). You can see if you are eligible for this and get more information on the range of support available on our apply for council tax web page (Please do not apply if you have savings of over £16,000)
• If you are eligible for Local Council Tax Support, you may also be entitled to further assistance under the recently announced Hardship Fund set up by Central Government. We are awaiting further details on this so please bear with us.
• To help reduce your monthly payments you might prefer to pay your bill over 12 months as opposed to over 10 months. If you would like to do this please get in touch with us. 
• Universal Credit can help you with your living costs if you’re on low income or out of work. www.gov.uk/apply-universal-credit
• If you still need have a question which isn’t answered above please contact our council tax team by emailing counciltax@braintree.gov.uk.