New business support scheme portal will speed up payments

The new system, which was launched today, will result in faster processing and payment for the business support scheme.

All claims from 4 May should be submitted through the new web portal.

If businesses have already submitted a payroll claim for any period from 4 May, there is no need to re-submit.

Policy & Resources committee vice president Lyndon Trott is leading the economic support measures on behalf of the committee.

'So far we have supported over 1,000 local businesses with their payroll funding requirements during this crisis,' he said.

'Over 3,000 payroll payments have been made to a value of over £7m., with a further £5.3m. paid by way of grants to small businesses supporting a further 1,000 businesses. We know that there will be an on-going need to deliver payroll support for the coming weeks and that some businesses will require financial support for longer periods than others, possibly beyond the current scheme expiry date of 30 June.

'While we agreed these support measures should be provided very early on in this crisis, getting a new system up and running to practically get this help to businesses has been an enormous challenge, and some businesses have had to wait as a result.

'I understand their frustration and that is why, while we’ve continued to process the growing number of claims manually, we’ve also been working on this digital solution so we can quickly speed the whole process up.'

The support measures have been updated which means there will widen eligibility for funding for certain businesses.

Small businesses employing up to 20 people will now be entitled to claim a small business grant.

'It’s important that the support measures are applied fairly and we have identified certain circumstances where some businesses might have failed to meet eligibility criteria but still merit support,' Deputy Trott said.

'Whilst these cases are always reviewed, extending the criteria means we can widen vital support to those businesses in need. We have listened, continue listening and we will not stop listening to those in need.

By ‘we’ I don’t just mean my political colleagues and I, but also our dedicated and hardworking civil service team to whom I also extend my gratitude.'

To find out more about the scheme and access the portal, visit https://covid19.gov.gg/guidance/business.