COVID-19 business support and information

COVID-19 Financial support for businesses

Find out about financial support for businesses affected by COVID-19 including grants, rate relief tax cuts, furlough, and help if you're self-employed.

The government and the council offer a range of financial support to help your business through COVID-19, including the following:

Grants for businesses

We've managed a number of government grant schemes to support businesses affected financially by COVID-19 restrictions. All COVID-19 grant schemes are now closed to applications.

Business rates relief

Eligible retail, leisure and hospitality businesses will not need to pay business rates in the 2020 to 2021 tax year. We apply this relief automatically. Retail, leisure and hospitality businesses may also be eligible for the extended retail discount, announced in the March 2021 budget.

Government-backed loans

The Recovery Loan Scheme provides financial support to UK businesses as they grow and recover from the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tax deferral and cuts

The government has temporarily reduced and allowed businesses to defer VAT payments.

The Furlough scheme

The government’s Furlough scheme, officially known as the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), covers a percentage of an employee’s salary for the hours they can’t work.

Help if you're self-employed

The government’s Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) offers grant payments for eligible self-employed individuals.

Contact us

If you have any questions about the support available, or want to discuss an issue affecting your business, email us.

You can also sign up to our business enewsletter, which provides regular updates for Southwark businesses affected by COVID-19.

Page last updated: 19 July 2021