Businesses impacted by Covid restrictions have received almost £1million from the council in just two days.

Thurrock Council has helped businesses access more than £940,000 of support since the Government announced its latest support package last Tuesday.

This has brought the overall total amount of support given to businesses by Thurrock council to £25.5million since the start of the pandemic.

The council is urging businesses to find out if they’re eligible and to apply for a grant.

Councillor Shane Hebb, cabinet member for finance, said: “The government grants offer businesses a vital lifeline in these difficult times. Since the start of the pandemic Thurrock Council have provided grants to businesses to a total of £25.5millon.

“The council is here to help and we are asking anyone who thinks their business might be eligible to go to our website and register for Local Restrictions Support as soon as they can.

“The sooner we have the details for your business the faster we can assess what support you are entitled too.

“I would like to thank council officers for going above and beyond to ensure these vital payments are processed as quickly as possible, so quickly after Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s announcement.”

So far, 131 businesses who registered their details for business support grants have received their payments.

The first 100 were paid on January 5 and a further 31 on January 6.

One-off top-up payments were also made available on January 6 to help businesses stay afloat during the coronavirus outbreak.

Businesses in need of financial support during the pandemic must provide the council with relevant details by registering for Local Restrictions Support through the online form to receive their grant where eligible.

By registering, businesses can check if they are eligible, what funding they are entitled to and get an update on their application.

Business owners can also visit Thurrock Council’s coronavirus business grants web pages to find out more about the help on offer and update their contact and payment details via the online form that can be found there.