News

More than £1million in business support grants have been paid to eligible Wolverhampton taxi and private hire drivers since the scheme went live at the end of last month.

Over 500 drivers have received a one-off payment of £2,000 through The Additional Restriction Grant – Taxi and Private Hire Grant Scheme, created to support those whose business has been significantly impacted by the current lockdown.

The grant is aimed at Hackney Carriage/Dual and Private Hire Drivers who live in Wolverhampton, regardless of which authority they are licensed with. The taxi grant scheme is the latest of several grants administered by the Council, which has seen £65million paid out to Wolverhampton businesses throughout the pandemic.

Councillor Alan Bolshaw, Chair of the Licensing Committee, said:

“I am very pleased with what has been achieved to help our licensed drivers in Wolverhampton."

“However, I remain concerned that there are drivers who are unaware of this excellent scheme, which has been developed to help them in these most challenging times. I would urge all those who believe they may be eligible to visit the business grants webpage and apply.”

Councillor Stephen Simkins, Cabinet Member for City Economy, added:

“I urge all businesses to apply for the business grants before the end of the month. There are people ready to take your enquiry and help you through the process.”

Eligibility criteria and how to access the online application process for the taxi grant and all other business support grants can be found at www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/businessgrants.

If you need help with grant applications or have a general query, you can get in touch with the Black Country LEP Growth Hub by clicking here OR by emailing business.grants@wolverhampton.gov.uk or calling the business support phoneline on 01902 290242 between 9am and 5pm from Monday to Thursday or from 9am to 4.30pm on Fridays.

They are experiencing extremely high levels of demand and would urge businesses to remain patient. All the grants are subject to State Aid rules and are treated as taxable income. The latest Government information on business grants and support can be viewed at https://bit.ly/32H66MX