Coronavirus (COVID-19): Taxi and Private Hire Driver Support Fund
The Scottish Government has announced the details of the new £57m fund to support taxi and private hire drivers affected by the current pandemic.
Who can claim the grant?
You may be eligible to claim a grant of £1,500 if you are a taxi or private hire driver and have been licensed for the period 9 October 2020 to at least 31 January 2021.
Note that drivers whose licenses were suspended on or before 31 December 2020, but that remain current and valid, are not eligible to claim a grant.
How to apply
You do not need to apply. Your local authority will get in touch with you by letter, email or other communication method. You do not need to contact them.
If you are being contacted by letter, it may take a bit of time for this to reach you.
You will be asked to provide any relevant supporting information and your bank account details. The payment can be made to a business or personal bank account.
Conditions for claiming the grant
To claim the grant, you must be able to confirm that up to 31 December 2020:
- you have experienced loss of income (50% of turnover, compared with 2019) and incurred overhead costs and expenses
- you are or have been working or available for work as a taxi or private hire driver
Your local authority may ask to you to provide additional evidence to confirm if you are eligible. They will of course need your bank account details.
In addition, you must:
- not have breached COVID-19 regulations
- not have connections to tax havens, as set out in the Coronavirus regulations
- declare all previous support from UK, Scottish or local government support schemes
Other information regarding impact of any grant claim on state benefits
Drivers in receipt of state benefits payments (Universal Credit, Statutory Sick Pay, Employment and Support Allowance, Job Seekers’ Allowance, Income Support) are eligible to claim the grant.
However, if you are in receipt of Universal Credit or some other DWP benefits, receiving this Grant may affect your benefit entitlement. This could mean you need to pay some money back to the DWP or that your future payments are reduced. You may also be able to deduct some business expenses. How this affects you depends on your individual circumstances. You may therefore wish to contact the DWP to confirm how making a claim would affect you.
The information in this blog provides only an overview of Scottish Government guidance and legislation in force at the date of publication and no action should be taken without consulting the detailed Scottish Government guidance and legislation or seeking professional advice. Therefore no responsibility for loss occasioned by any person acting or refraining from action as a result of the material contained in this blog can be accepted by the firm.
Photo by Florencia Viadana on Unsplash
