Covid-19 Additional Relief Fund - CARF 2021
The Covid-19 Additional Relief Fund - CARF for the 2021/22 financial year has now closed. No more appliactions or awards can be made, however if you have received a CARF award and you do not think that you are entitled to it please check the qualifying criteria below and email us to refuse the relief. Please note that there is no CARF scheme for the 2022/23 finacial year.
On 25 March 2021 the Government announced a new COVID-19 Additional Relief Fund (CARF) of £1.5 billion. The fund will be available to support those businesses affected by the pandemic but that are ineligible for existing support linked to business rates.
On 15th December 2021 the Rating (Coronavirus) and Directors Disqualification (Dissolved Companies) Bill 2021 attained Royal Assent.
This Bill allows Local Authorities to design a new COVID-19 Additional Relief Fund (CARF) Discretionary scheme to reduce Business Rate chargeable amounts in respect 2021/22 subject to Government guidance provided.
Government guidance provides the following exclusions:
- Ratepayers who would have been eligible for the Extended Retail Discount scheme (ie retail, hospitality and leisure) or Nursery Discount for 2021/22.
- Awards will only be in relation to occupied premises. No eligibility for businesses when the hereditament was unoccupied (other than closed temporarily due to government advice on COVID-19)
Support to be directed to:
- Ratepayers adversely affected by the pandemic and have been unable to adequately adapt.
Subsidy Allowance
Payments under this scheme are subject to Subsidy Allowance conditions, including subsidy obligations set out in the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) with the EU.
Businesses that have already received grant payments that equal the maximum permitted subsidy allowances will not be eligible to receive funding. Find out more about organisation rules on subsidies, and other international commitments
Our Scheme
Download the councillors' report to see the full details of the scheme.
