City of York Council has been one of the quickest in the country to pay grant funding to businesses, according to new figures.

The data, released today, shows that York council is 12th out of 314 local authorities for the percentage value of payments made and 37th for the number of payments made.

Authority staff who have been involved have won praise for going "above and beyond". 

Council leader, Cllr Keith Aspden, said: “We recognised that getting these payments out quickly was vital to the long-term sustainability of our local businesses.

"That is why council officers have been working extra shifts over weekends and bank holidays to process these payments, whilst ensuring rigorous fraud checks are in place. I would like to personally thank all the staff who have gone above and beyond to put us in this good position.

“Of course, there is more work to be done and we will continue to process all the remaining payments as quickly as possible to support our local business community during this difficult time.”

“I would strongly encourage any business, who has not yet done so, to get in touch with the council and see what support is on offer, from the government grant system, to our own local £1 million emergency fund for small and micro businesses.”

Councillor Andrew Waller, executive member for the economy and strategic planning, said: “The importance of processing the grant payments quickly has been a priority, and officers recognise the importance of working through the remaining applications.

"There is also work ongoing to include those companies who qualify but have not yet applied to ensure that all funding is utilised.

"Alongside these grant payments we are providing a range of support, advice and guidance for businesses, including free advertising across our local media for any businesses still operating."

The council is reminding businesses that it may contact them by phone, and to follow this advice to speed up the process and guard against fraud.

  • Have your unique application form reference number, which you received after applying for the grant, and your business rates account number to hand.
  • The council will never ask for a payment. If you are suspicious, hang up the phone and contact the public protection team by email protection@york.gov.uk or 01904 551525.

• Don’t contact the council to check on your payment as this will slow payments down.

• Any business which believes it is eligible for the government grants but is yet to apply should do so immediately at www.york.gov.uk/COVIDBusinessGrant.