Today (3 April 2020), BPCA has written to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak MP, asking him to make the Small Business Grant Fund work for our sector. 

The Small Business Grant Fund requires a business to be registered with the local authority and be either:

• Paying business rates or
• Receiving business rates relief and paying no rates. 

This obviously leaves many pest management companies unable to apply as they operate remotely from their vans and don’t own premises. 

BPCA Chief Exec, Ian Andrew, said:

“For many of our members, operating from premises would be an unnecessary overhead, reducing the profitability and therefore our Corporation Tax returns.

“You can run a successful enterprise, creating employment and contributing to the country by paying taxes, including Corporation Tax and providing employment, yet you cannot access the Small Business Grant Fund.

“That doesn’t seem fair to us.”

The letter sent to:

• Rishi Sunak MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer
• Alok Sharma, Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
• Diane Dodds MLA, Minister for Economy, Northern Ireland
• Ken Skates AM Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales, Wales
• Fiona Hyslop MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Fair Work and Culture, Scotland.

You can read it in full below. 

Write a letter to your MP 

BPCA has created a letter template for pest management business owners to their MPs. 

We encourage any pest management business without business premises to fill it out and send it to their MP, to ask for their support in changing how the Small Business Grant Fund works. 

Download template

Find your local MP

Letter to Chancellor of the Exchequer

17 March 2020
Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP
Chancellor of the Exchequer
The Correspondence and Enquiry Unit
1 Horse Guards Road
London
SW1A 2HQ

RE: Make the Covid-19 Small Business Grant Fund work for pest management companies

Dear Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP 

I write to ask you to reconsider the eligibility criteria for the Small Business Grant Fund.

BPCA represents over 700 member companies which are mainly small and micro-businesses. Our members protect the nation from public health pests, keeping the UK safe and healthy. 

As it currently stands, the Small Business Grant Fund requires a business to be registered with the local authority and either paying business rates or receiving business rates relief and paying no rates. 

This creates an anomaly for many companies, including many BPCA members, that don’t require business premises. 

As a service provider, their work is done at customer premises, whether that is other businesses or domestic households. 

To operate from premises would be an unnecessary overhead, reducing their profitability and Corporation Tax returns.

They run successful enterprises, creating employment and contributing to the country by paying taxes, including Corporation Tax and providing employment, yet they cannot access the Small Business Grant Fund.

I realise that my members will have access to loans; however we feel that that it would be fairer if all small businesses could have access to the Small Business Grant Fund.

Thank you for giving this matter your consideration during this incredibly difficult time. 

Yours sincerely,

Ian Andrew
Chief Executive Officer
British Pest Control Association

Source: Online