A letter to local authorities confirms amendments that the government has made to the eligibility criteria for Supporting Small Business Relief, a scheme available in England.
Eligibility for the relief has been aligned with the treatment of vacancy and reoccupation under Transitional Relief.
Under the updated rules, a change of ratepayer or a period of vacancy after 31 March 2026 will not affect eligibility for the Supporting Small Business Relief scheme. Eligibility will still be lost if the property becomes occupied by a charity or a Community Amateur Sports Club.
The change has been made to reflect the fact that the relief is intended to mitigate business rate bill increases as a result of revaluation. The change has been backdated to 1 April 2026.
It’s bad news for mortgage holders and borrowers as the Bank of England (BoE) raises interest rates by a quarter point to 4% for the first time since August 2023.
If your company is involved in processing Overseas Workday Relief (OWR) elections and claims for 2025-26 Self Assessment tax returns, you might be facing problems.