Wiltshire Council reopens Discretionary Payments grant applications to help support businesses in the county

Wiltshire Council has today (Tuesday 26 January) reopened the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG, also known as Discretionary Payments) to help support Wiltshire businesses.

The grant has been reopened for new applications only or for those who had previously applied before November 2020. Any business that has already applied for an ARG since November does not need to reapply as they will, if eligible, receive any further payments automatically.

The grant supports businesses that are not covered by other grant schemes, such as the Local Restrictions Support Grant (LRSG) and the Christmas Support Payment (CSP).

Cllr Philip Whitehead, Leader of Wiltshire Council, said: "We have already paid out more than £1m to 781 Wiltshire businesses that have applied for the Additional Restrictions Grant, but we know there are many more businesses in need.

"So I would urge any businesses that have not received any other grant funding, or who have applied for the ARG before November to apply for this grant.

"Applications will be open for a month, but this will be reviewed after two weeks to ensure the grant scheme isn't oversubscribed.

"Grants range from £1,500 to £10,000, depending on the number of employees a business has, so this is vital funding that can really make a difference to Wiltshire businesses during this difficult time.

"The eligibility criteria for the ARG will be determined by the assessment of each application, so if your business has not been in receipt of a COVID grant and you have not applied for an ARG since November, please do make sure you submit an application - or you could be missing out on vital funds to support your business."

To find out more about these discretionary grants, and to apply, visit Coronavirus business support grants