With the news that Wirral Council has received a further £23 million to support Wirral businesses hardest hit by the Covid crisis, Wirral’s Conservative Councillors are working with Council Officers to ensure every pound of the £200 million of Covid Funding Support the Borough has received from the Government makes a real difference to residents' lives and sustains Wirral's businesses.

Just over half of the funding, £107 million, has been used to support businesses across Wirral in a variety of ways. At the start of the pandemic business grants of £10,000 and £25,000 were available for qualifying businesses and additional, specialist funding programmes have been set up to help businesses that were ordered to close.

The Council has received £56 million to support its response to the Covid pandemic and to cover losses in Council income due to the pandemic. A further £10 million has been used to help care homes with infection control, fund a £500 payment support scheme for those residents told to stay at home by Test & Trace and to provide additional support for children, families and the most vulnerable over the winter months.

Councillor Jeff Green, Leader of Wirral’s Conservative Councillors said: “every single one of us have had our lives completely altered by Covid, but it’s important to recognise that some of our residents have been more acutely affected than others. As we pass a landmark of £200 million pounds of Government support (not including Furlough or the increase in Universal Credit) we can see the Council has been able to establish the Food Hub, ensuring the most vulnerable and those shielding received food and groceries, the Covid Helpline, support for residents in Care Homes and find accommodation for anyone who is homeless or sleeping rough – it’s important that we work across Party Political boundaries to ensure the funding provided makes a difference to our residents lives.”