COVID-19 Additional Relief Fund (CARF)
COVID-19 Additional Relief Fund (CARF) was announced in the 2021 Budget. The Government has subsequently announced further details of the allocations and how CARF is expected to operate.
Haringey has received a £3.8m share of the £1.5bn fund made available to support businesses that have been affected by the pandemic, but which were ineligible for the existing business rate support via the Expanded Retail Discount and Nursery Support scheme.
The scheme is known as COVID-19 Additional Relief Fund (CARF). Businesses entitled to the Airport and Ground Operation Support Scheme (AGOSS) operated by the Department for Transport will not be eligible to receive further support via CARF.
The council was required to design and approve a local scheme for the distribution of this fund to local business. The local scheme has been devised and is awaiting approval.
Key exclusions
The government has advised that in order to claim the monies to pay this relief councils must:
- not award relief to ratepayers who for the same period of the relief either are or would have been eligible for the Extended Retail Discount (covering retail, hospitality and leisure), the Nursery Discount or the Airport and Ground Operations Support Scheme (AGOSS)
- not award relief to a hereditament for a period when it is unoccupied (other than hereditaments which have become closed temporarily due to the government's advice on COVID-19, which should be treated as occupied for the purposes of this relief)
- direct their support towards ratepayers who have been adversely affected by the pandemic and have been unable to adequately adapt to that impact
How funding will be awarded
The council will automatically award funding to eligible accounts that were occupied during 2021/2022. The eligible businesses will not have been in receipt of, or eligible for, the Extended Retail Discount (covering retail, hospitality and leisure), the Nursery Discount or the Airport and Ground Operations Support Scheme (AGOSS).
Revised bills showing the amount of relief awarded through CARF should be issued in early August 2022, showing a recalculation of the business rates instalments after taking into account the award of relief.
More about Business Rates
- What are business rates?
- How your business rates are worked out
- Understanding your business rate bill
- Government explanatory notes (PDF, 92KB)
- Business Rates Reminder and Final Notice
- Business Rates Summons and Liability Order
- Enforcement Agents
- Rateable Value - How your property is valued and how to make an appeal
- Business Rates devolution (external link)