Anger as virus grant is refused
‘Businesses won’t survive’
An established Perth business has hit out after it was rejected for a Scottish Government grant to help it through the coronavirus pandemic.
Andrew Gray Perth Ltd and D&R Taylor Contractors had applied for a £10,000 through the Scottish Government’s Coronavirus Business Support Fund.
However, bosses at the companies were told that, because they operated as a yard, they would not receive the money.
Carole Taylor, a director at the family business, said they had closed for five weeks during the lockdown because she “didn’t feel comfortable” with her staff working, despite some key services relying on them.
Although they have now re-opened, they have also furloughed eight staff, but have not yet applied for UK Government funding to cover that.
Carole told the PA that, while they could manage without the £10,000, she knew of other businesses in the city who had also been knocked back and now faced closure without financial assistance.
She said: “We have been trading in Perth for 163 years. We have come through the Boer War, two world wars, recessions and outbreaks, but this was the first time we had ever closed.
“We will survive this but I know of 10 other businesses who have also been rejected and they can’t survive without it.
“I’m not fighting for me, but I don’t want to see other businesses going to the wall.”
A spokeperson for Perth and Kinross Council said grants totalling £26 million had been paid out to date and they were processing local applications “as quickly as possible”.
They added: “However, if the current legislation/guidance does not allow us to award a business grant in some circumstances, then clearly we cannot make this payment.
“Not all businesses will qualify for assistance from this Scottish Government scheme, and where this is the case, we are continuing to signpost business operators to other types of support and financial assistance options available to them.
“Additionally, any businesses that are or anticipate experiencing difficulties with paying non-domestic rates once they are billed for 2020-2021 should contact us for advice and information on the range of rates relief and reductions that are available. Contact details and other useful information and links are available on our website at https://www.pkc.gov. uk/coronavirus/business.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The Scottish Government is going to great lengths to support businesses and our total package for businesses during this unprecedented economic crisis now totals £2.3 billion.
“It’s precisely because we recognised that there were a number of individuals and smaller firms ineligible for support from the UK Government, or not yet in receipt of the funds they need to survive, that we introduced a £100 million grant fund.
“Applications for this opened last month and we would encourage businesses to visit FindBusinessSupport. gov.scot for what support might be available to them.
“Because of the decisions the Scottish Government has taken, thousands more self-employed people and small businesses will be able to benefit from support compared with elsewhere, and we have been able to help sectors of the economy that are not being supported in other parts of the UK.”