UK small businesses are not claiming the available rate relief

The Local Government Association said that about 392,000 businesses were getting the rate relief that was available, out of 870,000 that could apply.

Communities and Local Government, the department responsible for the rate relief scheme, said that the proportion of businesses that get rate relief varies across the country. Not all small properties are occupied by small businesses, and a business may not qualify for relief if it occupies more than one property.

The Forum of Private Business, which represents about 25,000 UK companies said that £200m in small business rate relief goes unclaimed each year, just in England.

The rate relief, which is also available in Scotland and Wales, enables businesses with rateable values of up to £5,000 to reduce their bill by half. This relief decreases on a sliding scale by 1 per cent for every £100 of rateable value over £5,000, up to £10,000.

During the current difficult trading conditions for small businesses, the rate relief assists. Our UK Local Search Business Directory with over 1.6 million business listed, most of which are small businesses, also assists, since the qualified prospects we provide are 100% free of cost.