£10 million support claimed per month at height of pandemic

Wednesday 08 September 2021

A breakdown of financial Covid support claimed since the start of the pandemic reveals a peak of £10 million in a month last April.

The States has supported businesses in the Bailiwick who struggled through both the two lockdowns and their sustained impact on the economy.

Many people were unable to work, and others were operating at very low levels, due to this the States created the payroll co-funding scheme to support wages and overheads.

“It’s absolutely right that we publish these more detailed figures, as it is the taxpayer that has funded this business support and so they deserve to see where their money has gone,” said Treasury Lead, Deputy Mark Helyar.

More detailed information on financial support will be published after the Visitor Accommodation Scheme and the Visitor Attraction Scheme finish next year, however it’ll remain anonymous after public pressure earlier in the year to not name individual businesses who claimed support.

Pictured: “Taxpayers should be proud of what their support has achieved, helping viable businesses to survive, through what has been a most difficult period,” said Deputy Helyar.

Most of the £65million of support paid out over the past 18 months has gone to the three sectors most affected by the pandemic: hostelry, construction, and ‘wholesale, retail & repairs’.

The funding scheme will close at the end of September, with the Visitor Accommodation Scheme and the Visitor Attraction Scheme providing further support to tourist led industries who are continuing to struggle. 

However, the Guernsey Tourism Partnership has argued that more still needs to be done to make sure Guernsey’s tourist industry survives the winter.

Pictured: The sector undefined category incorporates those businesses who haven’t been assigned an economic sector code.

Some businesses have returned States’ support after getting back on their feet during 2021, and Deputy Helyar has commended the businesses that have done so.

“Of course, some businesses have done more than survive; some have thrived,” he said.

“The financial performance of some local businesses has meant that they have been able to repay what they received and that has, and will continue to be, very welcome.”