- The government has extended support to prevent business
evictions until the end of 2020
- This move will help businesses over the coming months and
protect people’s jobs
- This is an addition to the £160 billion package of support
available for businesses during the pandemic
Businesses will be protected from the threat of eviction until
the end of year, providing commercial tenants with greater
security and protecting vital jobs, Communities Secretary
has announced today (16 September 2020).
Today’s measures are on top of the wider ranging financial
package provided by the UK government, backed by £160 billion, to
protect jobs, incomes and business throughout and beyond this
pandemic.
The government is clear that where businesses can pay their rent,
they should do so, as this support is aimed to those businesses
struggling the most during the pandemic.
This move will help those businesses most in need of additional
support to remain in their premises without the threat of
eviction for the rest of this year, giving them the chance to
focus on rebuilding their business over the autumn and Christmas
period.
Secretary of State for Housing Rt Hon MP said:
I am announcing today that we are extending support to protect
those businesses that are unable to pay their rent from
eviction to the end of the year. This will stop businesses
going under and protect jobs over the coming months.
This government is committed to supporting businesses and our
high streets at this difficult time, and this extension of
support will help businesses recover from the impacts of the
pandemic and plan for the future.
Business Secretary said:
During this particularly challenging time for businesses, it is
crucial that both landlords and tenants have the clarity and
reassurance they need to build back better from the pandemic.
Extending the temporary measures we put in place earlier this
year to protect businesses from the threat of eviction will
give them some much-needed breathing space at a critical moment
in the UK’s economic recovery.
This extension will protect businesses that are struggling to pay
their rent due to the impact of COVID-19 from being evicted and
help the thousands of people working in these sectors feel more
secure about their jobs.
The government will also extend the restriction on landlords
using Commercial Rents Arrears Recovery to enforce unpaid rent on
commercial leases, until the end of the year.
The guidance is clear both landlords and tenants should continue
to work together to agree rent payment options if businesses are
struggling. In June, the government published a Code of Practice to
support these discussions.
The Code of Practice was produced alongside leading businesses
and trade associations to help guide and encourage all parties to
work together to protect viable businesses and ensure a swift
recovery.
In addition to the measures extended today, the government has
also committed:
- Over £35 billion on the furlough scheme, protecting over 9.6
million jobs.
- Around £8.5 billion for nearly 3 million self-employed
people.
- Over £15 billion from SME and large business Coronavirus
Business Interruption Loans.
- Over £35 billion via over 1 million Bounce Back Loans.
- Over £11 billion in business grants and £10 billion in
business rates relief.
- Over £27 billion in VAT deferrals, supporting nearly 500,000
businesses.
- Nearly £33 billion at the Summer Economic Update – supporting
the Jobs Retention Bonus and Eat Out to Help Out, which has seen
over 84,000 premises claim £520 million.
- Billions of pounds of easements to help local authority cash
flow, as well as over £300 million to support Test and Trace and
other emergency funding.
