Help is at hand for businesses that have had to stop face-to-face customer contact during this second lockdown.

Businesses with a Business Rates Account can apply for a Local Restrictions Support Grant, delivered via Waverley Borough Council.

The authority says it has allocated staff to deal with enquiries and process claims for the grant. Under the scheme, businesses can receive between £1,334 and £3,000 to help meet the cost of the 28-day lockdown. More information and an application form are available here. So far this year Waverley has handed over more than £24m of government money to almost 2,000 local businesses affected by the lockdowns. The payments were made under the now-closed Small Business Grant, Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant, and Local Authority Discretionary Grant schemes. The Government has also announced an Additional Restrictions Grant, which could be paid to businesses that do not qualify for a Local Restrictions Support Grant. The council says it is working to identify which types of businesses will be prioritised for the grant, and hopes to have an application process in place within the next two weeks. Waverley is encouraging business owners to subscribe to its business e-newsletter to receive updates on grants, by signing up on its business website. Councillor Mark Merryweather, Waverley Borough Council Portfolio Holder for Finance, Assets and Commercial Services, said: "The previous Government grants helped many businesses, but there are many others that didn't qualify for them. "We're now working to ensure that we can verify applications and make payments as quickly as possible under this new Additional Restrictions Grant. Many businesses in the borough will still face a very uncertain financial situation. "We're incredibly proud of our officers who've been redeployed to process the huge number of claims and inquiries that we're receiving."