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Coronavirus - support for businesses

What business rates support is available?

The government is offering support for:

  • Business rates grants
  • Small business grant funding
  • Rural rate relief grant funding
  • Retail hospitality and leisure relief grant funding.

Find up to date information on business rates 

Do I still need to pay my business rates?

We expect that those businesses that can afford to pay maintain their direct debits or payment plans and keep up with their payment plan that is on the bill.

We would urge all businesses to keep in touch with us, ensure that they are getting all the reliefs and support that they are entitled to, and to let us know how we can support them during this challenging period. 

Given the demands on our contact centre, we would request that all contact is via email on the following email address and we will respond as quickly as possible:

Email: business.rates@eastriding.gov.uk 

Which businesses need to close?

To help reduce the spread of coronavirus and reduce pressure on the National Health Service, certain businesses need to close and are not to open for trade.

Find out about businesses that are no longer able to open on the GOV.UK website

What support is available for my business?

East Riding of Yorkshire Council's Business Support Team is working alongside the Humber Local Enterprise Partnership and other partners to pool information on the issues affecting businesses, share resources and ensure businesses can access support.

The central point of access for business support in the Humber region is the Humber Business Growth Hub. The Growth Hub brings together information on all support initiatives and can answer any questions and signpost businesses to the most appropriate help. 

To access support, email the Growth Hub at growth.hub@humberlep.org

The East Riding Business Support Team is available to help you in identifying appropriate support initiatives and signpost you to available help.

Please email startup.business@eastriding.gov.uk and we will respond as quickly as possible.

Useful websites

To keep up-to-date with the latest developments, visit the following websites:

Humber Growth Hub - COVID-19 (external website)

Humber LEP - COVID-19 Support for Businesses (external website)

GOV.UK - Guidance to Employers and Businesses about COVID-19 (external website)

HM Government Business Support (external website)

What can my business do to support the community response to coronavirus?

A new website designed to co-ordinate Humber businesses’ contributions to the region’s response to the coronavirus pandemic has been launched.

The ‘Coronavirus Community Support’ hub has been created by the Humber Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) to help match the growing number of requests being made for businesses to help, and the offers of support coming in from the region’s businesses.

The website lists details of the support being requested by public sector and community organisations involved in the coronavirus response. Requests include a call for businesses prepared to donate surplus stocks of personal protective equipment (PPE) or hand sanitizer, as many have done already, and an invitation for those interested in converting existing production lines to manufacture the products to get in touch.

Current requests include: 

  • PPE
  • hand sanitiser
  • bottles for hand sanitiser
  • storage and logistics
  • surplus food and groceries.

Meanwhile, with most traditional networking opportunities closed off, the LEP is working with business membership and support organisations across the Humber to build up a database of business volunteers who are willing to help local firms.

Business leaders who think they may be able to help by offering a little bit of their time for an informal conversation with another business are asked to register their interest on the website.

Humber LEP coronavirus community support

What help is available for people who are self-employed? 

Find out where to get help if you can't pay your mortgage, rent or council tax, or you have no money for food or bills as your finances have been impacted by coronavirus on our financial support for households page.

You can find an up-to-date summary of both national and local programmes of support for which you may be eligible on:

Humber Business Growth Hub (external website)

The East Riding Business Support Team is available to help you in identifying appropriate support initiatives and signpost you to available help.

Please email startup.business@eastriding.gov.uk and we will respond as quickly as possible. 

What help is available for employees?

Find out where to get help if you can't pay your mortgage, rent or council tax, or you have no money for food or bills as your finances have been impacted by coronavirus on our financial support for households webpage.

You can find an up-to-date summary of both national and local programmes of support for which you may be eligible on the Humber Business Growth Hub website 

Is there help for people who are out of work, or employers looking to take on staff?

Humber Jobs Fuse is a new service helping people in the Humber region who have been made jobless as a result of the coronavirus outbreak get back into employment, while supporting key regional employers with gaps in their staffing due to the pandemic.

It will connect employers who have urgent vacancies with individuals across Humber who are available to start work – while also listening to employers who have to make redundancies to see if there are opportunities for their staff arising in the region.

Humber Jobs Fuse will promote opportunities as new and replacement needs arise as result of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

It is a joint service created by: 

  • Humber LEP
  • Education Development Trust (a prime contractor for the National Careers Service in Yorkshire and the Humber) 
  • Department for Work and Pensions
  • the four Humber Local Authorities, and 
  • Skills Support for the Workforce

Humber Jobs Fuse will also support those whose jobs have been affected during the crisis through its dedicated telephone enquiry service – which offers free, impartial and professional advice to job seekers – including aspects such as CV writing and access to training.

Humber Jobs Fuse (external website)


I live in private sector housing, what do I need to know?

Unsafe housing conditions

The Private Sector Housing team remain open to respond to complaints from tenants of serious hazards such as dangerous electrics, defective fire doors and alarms, broken down heating within rental properties. Please ensure you have made every effort to contact your landlord or managing agent to resolve issues and be able to demonstrate their refusal to rectify matters prior to contacting this department.

Illegal evictions

Further to the government's announcement that evictions are temporarily banned due to COVID-19 please see the link below; Protection for renters

 

If having informed your landlord about this, you have further concerns about an eviction being carried out at this time please contact this department.

Has anything changed for taxis and private hire vehicles?

News updates of changes within the taxi/private hire trade due to COVID-19.

What is the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme?

The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is a temporary scheme open to all UK employers for at least three months starting from 1 March 2020. We expect the scheme to be up and running by the end of April. It is designed to support employers whose operations have been severely affected by coronavirus (COVID-19).

Employers can use a portal to claim for 80% of furloughed employees’ (employees on a leave of absence) usual monthly wage costs, up to £2,500 a month, plus the associated Employer National Insurance contributions and minimum automatic enrolment employer pension contributions on that wage. Employers can use this scheme anytime during this period.

Find out more about the job retention scheme on the GOV.UK website

What is the Bounce Back Loan scheme and how can I apply?


The Bounce Back Loan scheme helps small and medium-sized businesses affected by coronavirus (COVID-19) borrow between £2,000 and £50,000 from the government.

You can apply for a loan if your business:
  • is based in the UK
  • has been negatively affected by the coronavirus
  • was not an 'undertaking in difficulty' on 31 December 2019.

Find out more about [link]eligibility criteria, loan terms, and how to apply on the GOV.UK website:

GOV.UK - Apply for a coronavirus bounce-back loan (external website)

Are council-run markets still open?

Find up-to-date information about council-run market closures

What has changed for food businesses, pubs, cafés and restaurants?

Pubs, cafés and restaurants have been told to close their premises due to recent Government guidance, however, some are allowed to sell takeaway food and drink if they have the correct licence, for the time being.

If anyone has information about a pub, café or restaurant that is opening to allow food and drink to be consumed within the premises, then please report these to the council.

Email: licensing@eastriding.gov.uk

Find out about changing food businesses to offer takeaway and deliveries and guidance on hygiene

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