Local Restrictions Support Grants (LRSG), Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG), Christmas Support Payment (CSP) for wet-led pubs: guidance for local authorities

These schemes, all delivered through local authorities, are to support local businesses during the national lockdown periods and periods of local restrictions. The guidance is for use by local authorities and sets out the eligibility criteria, operation and delivery details for each strand of the schemes.

Support for businesses during the national lockdown period starting 5 January 2021

The national lockdown that started on 5 January 2021 requires businesses to close in order to manage the spread of coronavirus and save lives. Businesses in other sectors that aren’t required to close will also be affected by the lockdown.

Two of the funds, the LRSG (Closed) Addendum and the Additional Restrictions Grant, plus the one-off Closed Businesses Lockdown Payment, are available to support businesses throughout this period of national restrictions:

Business support package for the January 2021 lockdown

This provides further information on the support available during this period of national lockdown.

Other support for businesses during national lockdowns

Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed) Addendum: applicable 5 November to 2 December 2020

Businesses required to close due to national lockdown restrictions will receive grants of up to £3,000 per 28-day period under the LRSG (Closed) Addendum, an extension of the LRSG (Closed) scheme.

Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG)

The Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) provides additional funding for local authorities subject to national lockdown or Tier 3 restrictions, to support businesses that have had their trade affected by the restrictions. This includes:

• closed businesses that don’t pay business rates
• businesses that have not been required to close, but are still severely impacted

Each local authority has the discretion to establish business grant schemes or other business support as best fits their area.

Support for businesses during periods of local restrictions

Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed)

LRSG (Closed) provides grants to businesses in the highest band of local restrictions - Tier 3 - which have been required to close during periods of local restrictions.

There are 2 versions of this guidance depending on which period the funding application relates to:

• LRSG (Closed) Version 2: applicable from 2 December 2020 onwards
• LRSG (Closed): applicable from 9 September to 5 November 2020

Funding of up to £3,000 per 28-day period is available. During the period of national restrictions this grant is superseded by Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed) Addendum.

Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed) Addendum: Tier 4

LRSG (Closed) Addendum: Tier 4 provides grants to businesses in the highest band of local restrictions - Tier 4 - which have been required to close during periods of local restrictions.

Local Restrictions Support Grant (Open)

Where local authorities have been subject to Tier 2 or Tier 3 restrictions, this grant allows local authorities to make discretionary payments to support businesses that were impacted by the restrictions, but not required to close.

There are 2 versions of this guidance depending on which period the funding application relates to:

• LRSG (Open) Version 2: applicable from 2 December 2020 onwards
• LRSG (Open): applicable from 1 August to 5 November 2020

Local Restrictions Support Grant (Sector)

LRSG (Sector) provides grants of up to £3,000 per 28-day period to be made to businesses like nightclubs that were required to close on a national basis since 23 March 2020. It is possible that, as part of future efforts to control the spread of coronavirus, further business property types are closed on an England-wide basis. If so, these businesses will also be eligible for these grants once they have been closed for 14 days.

The LRSG (Sector) scheme is effective from 1 November 2020.

Christmas Support Payment for wet-led pubs

The Christmas Support Payment grant provides funding for local authorities subject to Tier 2 or Tier 3 restrictions in December 2020 to pay one-off grants of £1,000 to wet-led pubs. These are pubs that predominantly serve alcohol rather than provide food and have been severely impacted over the festive season due to temporary local restrictions.