Ensure council has bank details for COVID-19 payments, businesses urged

Bromsgrove District businesses in line to receive Coronavirus support payments from the Government are being urged to make sure they are able to receive the money.

The money is set to automatically be paid into eligible business bank accounts – but only to eligible businesses whose bank details are already held by Bromsgrove District Council, for example businesses that pay their business rates by Direct Debit.

Businesses that don’t pay by Direct Debit will only receive their payments once the council is provided with some essential details.

To enable businesses to advise the council a special new secure online form has been set up and is available now at www.bromsgrove.gov.uk/coronavirus.

Jayne Pickering, Bromsgrove District Council’s Executive Director of Finance and Resources, said: “If you’re expecting this Government money and don’t currently pay your business rates by Direct Debit, we won’t have your bank details on file and so you will need to provide them for this money to be paid to you. Just submit the new online form we’ve developed for you and we will make payment automatically to you.

“Businesses whose bank details are already on file with us don’t need to do anything at all.”

The Government recently announced as part of the national response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that it would pay £10,000 to all businesses that receive small business rate relief, and up to £25,000 to eligible businesses in the retail, hospitality, and leisure sectors depending on their rateable value.

The money is now available and BACS transfers of those payments have started to eligible Bromsgrove District businesses with validated bank details.