17 April 2020

This update is about further help now available for salons and barbershops in Scotland and yesterday's announcement to increase the lockdown by at least three weeks.

The Scottish government has announced the following additional financial support:

Small business grant scheme

The small business grant scheme has been extended. Small business ratepayers in Scotland are now eligible for:

  • 100% grant on their first property.
  • 75% grant on all other properties.

The scheme should be open for applications by 5 May 2020.

Help for those not eligible for existing support schemes

A £100 million fund will be made available in Scotland to help support newly self-employed people and small/medium-sized businesses who are not eligible for other government schemes.

This fund will be channelled through local authorities and enterprise agencies and should be open for applications by the end of April 2020.

Find out more about these two initiatives on the Scottish Government website.

Salons and barbershops to stay closed for another three weeks

The government has announced that the current lockdown will continue for at least three more weeks.

Before restrictions can be lifted, the government wants to see a clear and steady drop in death rates and the rate of new infections slowing down. Right now, there's little evidence to show that the spread of the virus is well and truly under control, and lifting lockdown too early runs the risk of the virus continuing to spread, and would cause more long-term damage to both public health and the economy.

Read the NHBF press release regarding yesterday's announcement. 

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